Mokushita Hyuuga
by Moghedian
Summary: A tragedy leaves Hinata dead to Konoha and taking care of a small child. Sorry for the bad summary, this is my first fic, please reveiw! COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Dear Diary, _

_I don't think I can make it...I've tried hard... For nine long years I sat in this forest, alone._

_Well, not alone. Kouden is my gift, my only gift from the one that I love. I only hope that wherever my love is, he is content. I will be joining him soon; Kouden is almost of age to become a true shinobi. Not just some bastard child, raised by an outlaw. My only problem is where. Where to send him? Certainly not back to Konoha...but maybe, maybe I should._

_Just to spite the people I used to call my family. I could send him to Neji-ni-san, he would understand, and raise Kouden as his own...I hope. I fear that the heartache that is slowly killing me will get what it wants before I can find a suitable place for my son. Everyday, I can feel it. My heart, my mind, withering away. Love, wherever you are. I'll join you soon._

_Love, Uzumaki Hinata._

Hinata set down the pen on the yellowed page of her diary, and leaned back with a sigh. Resting her hand over her heart, she could almost feel the ache with her fingers. Thinking of Naruto always did that.

Looking to her left, outside the slightly dusty window of her small cabin, Hinata quickly spotted her nearly nine-year-old son, Kouden, practicing his forms for the delicate style of Jyuuken. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than anything Hinata could have done at his age. Hinata smiled, he was much like his father at learning. It only took him a few tries before he picked up on it.

Getting up from her wicker chair, Hinata unconsciously pushed it back into its place as she walked out the front door. The smell of flowers hit her senses, sending her mind into higher places, and for a moment, she could forget everything.

The small scratching noise that Kouden made as he skidded to a stop half way through one of his forms brought Hinata back to the world of the living. Kouden was gazing at her, he often did. He was always observant. In that he was like her.

Kouden started to walk towards Hinata, his hand rubbing the back of his head of bright blonde hair. A small pain struck Hinata's heart; Naruto used to do that. At least she was spared Naruto's eyes. Kouden inherited the famed byakugan, and knew how to use it.

Hinata sighed, but this time in a loving fashion. Kouden really was a genius. Hinata only wondered what hidden village she should put him in.

"Kaa-san, why do you always have that look?" Kouden said, breaking Hinata out of her thoughts.

"Look? What look?"

"That one. You always do it when you look at me. It's...it's hard to explain, but I always see sadness. Don't be sad. Otou-sama will come home one day. I don't think he's dead." Kouden nodded. Like he always did when reassuring Hinata.

"Kou-chan..." Hinata said. She didn't want to start another argument. Naruto wasn't coming back, and that was that. Hinata turned her head away from Kouden's all seeing eyes to wipe an unwanted tear that had formed.

"Kou-chan, get ready please. We are leaving for the village to buy supplies." _And to get news on Konoha._ Hinata added to herself. Kouden whooped and jumped a foot off the ground. Running into the house Hinata could hear him shouting,

"Yea! I get to see Sasami-chan! This is so awesome!" Hinata laughed. Ditama Sasami was the youngest daughter of Ditama Seiji, the local fisherman in the closest village. Sasami was short, had bright brown eyes, and very light hair, a pale pink almost. She reminded Hinata of Sakura-san.

Which coincidently reminded Hinata of Konoha. Which, then, determined not to break the chain, reminded Hinata of the village problem. Since she was still on Fire country territory, it was logical to send Kouden to Konoha, but then everyone would know that she was alive.

That was a problem in itself, and Hinata decided to do herself a favor, and stop thinking for the time being. Besides, Hinata knew in her heart, everything would work out. Whichever hidden village was picked, it would be happy. Who wasn't happy to have a genius?

"Kaa-san, do we have to walk? Why can't we jump in the trees? I hate walking this slow." Kouden said, bordering on whining. Hinata rolled her eyes. He did this every time they set out for the small village.

"Shush, Kou-chan. You know very well why. We are close enough to be spotted, and we don't want to create any rumors." Hinata pursed her lips slightly, it pained her to walk this slowly too. She enjoyed the free feeling of flying through the trees.

"Kaa-san, why don't we live in a hidden village? Or even a small one?" Hinata hesitated. He had asked this before, but Hinata never knew what to say. It was the only subject that she lied flat out every time. He wasn't old enough to handle the truth. Not yet.

"Ano...Well, Your Kaa-san doesn't enjoy large crowds of people. Even a small village would be too much. Speaking of villages, we can probably get some new clothes for you. Those are a little small." Hinata said, successfully turning the conversation topic away.

"Ne! Kaa-san! I like my clothes just as they are! Besides, they remind me of what you said Otou-sama looked like."

Hinata smiled at Kouden, which was returned. Kouden's clothes were basically just a jacket and slacks, like his father's. But the colours were inverted. Bright orange on the top, and solid black on the bottom half. His slacks were different though. Going all the way to his ankles, instead of halfway, and completely black, with two stripes of orange running down the sides.

They were very Naruto-ish, but Hinata wouldn't have him change them for the world.

_ Sigh I suppose I'm a little stuck up on Naruto..._

Soon they arrived at the small village, walking, of course. Hinata gave Kouden a few ryo and he took off to buy something for Sasami. Hinata continued on to the local tavern to see if she could catch word of Konoha. It didn't happen often, but when they did, they were usually very important. Last time she heard news, she had heard that the Uchiha clan had been revived. A boy, they said, Hinata didn't catch the name. Only that he had pink hair.

Hinata had giggled for a week after hearing this. Sakura-san had finally used the right bait to catch her beloved Sasuke. She was glad. She, Sakura, and Tsunade-sama had to all use their healing jutsu on Sasuke to remove the curse seal. She wished she hadn't have been there. There was a lot of blood. Hinata shuddered at the memory.

Pushing the weathered door open, she was greeted by the bartender, and a few people who she was acquainted with.

"Minako-san! Welcome! We haven't seen you in a while! Sit, sit! Here, have a drink on the house." Hinata smiled and sat down. For her protection, and discretion, she used the name Minako.

"It's good to be back." Hinata said. She was just about to open her mouth when the bartender said, in a voice that was barely above a whisper,

"I suppose you haven't heard yet, living out in nowhere." Hinata shook her head. "Well, I heard a hunter talking this morning, apparently some shinobi, you know, the kind that wear the masks? APU, or ABU or something? Anyways, this hunter guy says that there were scouting around the area that you always come in by. When you leave be careful. We don't want anything happening to you or Kouden-chan." He nodded and moved over to serve someone else.

Hinata's mouth was dry. ANBU? Here? Why? Hinata took a drink, not tasting what it was. Could they be after her? But, why now? It's been so long... Hinata shook her head. It must be another Missing-nin. They weren't that uncommon as one might think.

Still...

"Kouden! Kouden! Where are you?" Hinata half shouted. A mist had settled in around the docks, and Ditama-san was nowhere to be found. She'd have to try again in the morning. But first she had to find Kouden. He usually hung about the docks, chasing after Sasami.

"Kaa-san! Im over here!" A voice called. It was followed by a small thump, and Kouden burst through the mist into Hinata's arms. Hugging her tightly, Hinata could feel her son's fast pacing pulse through her jacket. She pulled him slightly away and said,

"Kou-chan, calm down! What happened?" Kouden was grinning from ear to ear.

"Kaa-san! I saw them! They were so cool!" He said, quivering with excitement.

"Saw who?"

"Im not sure, I think the one I talked to said he was ABU...or was it ANBU? Yea, ANBU!" Hinata's heart missed a beat. ANBU?

"Where? What did they say?" Hinata asked, her grin slipped off and was now a small frown.

"I was by the east docks, playing on the shore was Sasami-chan! There were three of them. One came forward and took off his mask...Kaa-san? Can I get a mask like that! It was really cool!"

"Kouden, please finish." Hinata said.

"O yea, sorry... So as I was saying, He took off his mask, which was weird, he was wearing another one underneath it. It was really weird...he had a bandage covering his left eye, but I could see the edge of a scar underneath it. His hair was gray, but he didn't look very old…" Kouden trailed off in thought, while Hinata broke into a cold sweat.

_Kakashi-sensei...here... Back in the ANBU, no less!_

"Please, Kouden, this is important...what did he say to you?"

"Ahh, umm...I think he said..."

_"Ahh, what a pretty flower. Did that nice boy give it to you?" Sasami nodded. Kouden, who hadn't noticed the visitors, looked up from his sand castle. _

_"Sasami-chan! Who is that?" Kouden looked at the three men, two with ((really cool)) masks covering their faces. The man who was closest looked past Sasami at Kouden and the man's eye widened._

_"So it's true." He said. It was so quiet Kouden almost missed it._

_"Boy, come here, just for a second." Kouden nodded. He rose from the sand, brushed his rolled up slacks and joined Sasami, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her slightly away from the strangers._

_"Can I ask your name?" He said, Kouden hesitated but finally said, _

_"Kouden. Its Kouden." The man nodded._

_"That's a nice name. Can I ask what your mother's name is?" He said, almost timidly, as if embarrassed to be asking._

_"Umm...It's, Minako." The man smiled. A smile of knowledge. Kouden didn't miss that smile. The man stood up fully and scratched the back of his head._

_"So, Kouden-san, how would you like to be an ANBU one day?" Kouden hesitated at the topic change, but finally said, _

_"Would I get a mask like yours?" The man with the gray hair laughed. _

_"Of course! Except you would have to be a shinobi first. A registered shinobi of a hidden village." He said with a tad of mirth still in his voice._

_"Hidden Village? Which one are you from, ANBU-san?" Kouden asked, tilting his head._

_"Heh, call me sensei, kid. I am from Konohagakure. Do you know where that is?" Kouden nodded eagerly._

_"Ever been there?" Kouden shook his head, "You should tell you Mother to take you. Im sure she would be glad to know that she would be welcomed with open arms. Be sure to tell her that."_

_"Kakashi. We scouted around and the missing-nin is nowhere to be found." The man behind him sighed._

_"Really...well, we'll catch him. You kids should go back to the village. It isn't very safe here. There is an evil man lurking somewhere around and he might get 'cha if you aren't careful." Kouden grinned._

_"I could take him. Kaa-san taught me to fight. She said I'm a genius shinobi and that I learned faster than her." Kouden said, trying to impress this gray man._

_"Oh really? Well, it's a rule of shinobi to protect. So I suggest you take Sasami back to the village." _

_"Oh...heh, yea. Sasami-chan, let's go! I wanna tell Kaa-san!" Kouden said, turning around, dragging Sasami with him. The gray man cupped his hand around his mouth and shouted to the retreating couple, _

_"Hey kid! Don't forget to tell your mother that she is welcome!" Kouden waved his hand in acknowledgement._

_"So his legend lives on..." The man with gray hair said, covering his face with his Dog-ANBU mask. His red scarf draped behind him, he turned and said to his teammates, _

_"Yuugao-chan, Shikamaru, let's go." Yuugao sniffed, she hated being called "chan", and Shikamaru didn't say anything, but stared thoughtfully at Kakashi, through his deer mask..._

"...and that's what they said, more or less." Kouden said. Hinata was speechless. Her mouth was agape, and she stared at Kouden. Kouden tightened his grip on his mother.

"Kaa-san, he said you could go back. Does that mean you were there before? In Konoha?" Hinata smiled, and ran her fingers through Kouden's untamed locks of gold.

"Yes...I was born there." She said.

"What! Really? Why don't we live there?" Kouden asked, getting tense from excitement again.

"Kouden...that place has some bad memories for me." Kouden calmed down again, seeing the sadness in his mother's eyes. He rested his head on his mother's stomach, hugging her tighter.

"It's ok, Kaa-san. I know you don't want to go there, but do you think I can be a Konoha shinobi? If you were born there, it must mean that you used to be one, right?" Kouden asked.

"Well, yes...I suppose I could think about it. But for now I think it's best we return to the hotel. We have a long day ahead of us." Kouden nodded and walked slightly ahead.

Taking advantage of her eager son's position, she quickly activated the Byakugan to see if she was being followed. Hinata sighed. It was obvious she would be.

Three followers. All ANBU. It must be Kakashi and who ever he decided on coming with him. Turning to her son, just as they reached the village gates, Hinata said,

"Kou-chan, here, take this and hurry back to the hotel, I'll buy you some ramen on the way back. I have to do something first." Kouden's ear's perked at the word 'Ramen'. Hinata giggled. He really was just like his father. She gave Kouden her bag and he sprinted off to the hotel.

After a few seconds to make sure he left, Hinata turned around and faced the forest that was to the left of the road.

"Okay. He's gone. You can stop hiding." Hinata said, not quite shouting, but loud enough to echo in the silence of the night. Hinata heard a rustle, and then took a step back as three ANBU landed in front of her.

"Kakashi, I want you to leave me alone. I was never here." Hinata frowned, causing a small furrow to develop on her brow. Kakashi raised his hands.

"I can't believe it. You are really alive? After Neji told us all that he had killed you nine years ago, all the search parties had just stopped."

"Kakashi, who is this? How does she know you?" One of the ANBUs said, a woman, by the sound of her voice. Hinata directed her gaze on her. Eyes wide, even without the Byakugan activated, it was hard to mistake the power her eyes held.

"Please, Yuugao-chan, don't be rude." Kakashi turned back to Hinata. Taking off his mask, he took a step towards Hinata.

"Kakashi..." Yuugao said, but was cut off when Kakashi leaned forward and hugged Hinata. Not expecting this Hinata blushed.

"Oh! Hinata! It IS you! I'd recognize that blush anywhere!" The third ANBU said.

Hinata froze. Knowing one ANBU was bad, but two? Who was it this time? Shikamaru? Hinata inwardly giggled at her little joke. Shikamaru would think, that like everything else, being ANBU would be too 'troublesome'.

So naturally, when the third ANBU took off his mask and revealed that it actually WAS Shikamaru, Hinata nearly fainted.

Which itself was weird. She hadn't fainted since...since, that day. That awful day.

"Shikamaru-kun...this isn't good. I'm dead. I don't exist. Got it? I died nine years ago." Shikamaru seemed a little taken back at Hinata's fieriness; she definitely wasn't the Hinata he remembered. Then again, it wasn't all that surprising. Considering what happened.

"Hinata, that boy...Is it...his?" Shikamaru said, slowly, he knew he was treading dangerous grounds. Hinata looked sad, but it was replaced so fast, Shikamaru thought he might have imagined it. Hinata raised her hands together, but quickly moved them back to her sides. She was NOT about to pick that habit up again.

"Please. Leave my son alone. He doesn't have anything to do with this. It's bad enough his father died before he was born, and that I'm reminded of him every time I see Kouden, I don't need you, of all people, digging into my past. Im dead, for kami-sama's sake. I don't exist, and neither does my son.

Hinata turned on her heel and started to walk away.

"Please, leave. Catch your nin, and leave. Don't come back. I got your message Kakashi, and I'm not coming back." She walked a few more steps, but stopped, pulling out a small scroll, and a pen.

After a few moment of scribbling, she rolled it up and tossed the scroll to Shikamaru. Catching it he looked at Hinata.

"Take it to Neji-ni-san...and only you, Shikamaru, you and Neji-ni-san, come back to this spot in exactly a month. At this time. I have something for him." Hinata shot a look at Kakashi and Yuugao.

"Only Shikamaru. You can't fool my eyes." Then, abruptly turned and walked into the village, leaving a confused trio of ANBU in her wake.

"Well. That was troublesome." Shikamaru said, a few moments after Hinata disappeared around the corner.

"But still, I cant believe she's alive, after all these years, I was sure she was dead."

"Yea, biiig surprise." Kakashi said. Nodding his head.

"What ever, you guys...I don't even wanna know how you know her." Yuugao said, and disappeared with a small cloud of smoke.

Kakashi grinned and replaced his mask. Shikamaru followed suit, but wore a bored expression instead.

The last thing that could be heard as the two remaining ANBU left, was a quiet _"Mendokuse"_

End Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters. But all of the OC's are mine.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The following month after the ANBU incident passed fairly quickly. Hinata started to pick up the pace on Kouden's training. She started to teach him the basics and principles of kaiten. She smiled at how fast he picked it up. She had him read scrolls that she had collected over the years. Kouden only complained once.

_"Kaa-san... Why am I training so much?" he said, during a spar with Hinata one day. _

_"You will see, and you will thank me one day. Now, watch your guard." She said, as she struck out at one of his tenketsus. Kouden nodded and eagerly dodged her oncoming attack._

Hinata picked up her tea cup and brought it to her mouth. The tea smelled of mint. Her favorite. She closed her eyes in contentment, and took a sip. It was a little on the hot side, but nothing Hinata couldnt enjoy.

Hinata was getting anxious. She was supposed to meet Shikamaru and Neji-ni-san tomorrow. Kouden still didn't know why she was getting so anxious, but just watched her. Observed her, like his Hyuuga blood instinct told him too.

Kouden picked up on anything Hinata taught him fairly quickly, so it was no surprise when he mastered partial henge in an afternoon. Partial henge is unlike normal henge, although it sounds easy, it's alot harder. It only covers a small part of the body, instead of the entire thing. It requires very good chakra control, and concentration. Both of which Kouden was more than capable of.

The first thing that Hinata had taugh Kouden was to make the henge cover his eyes.

Green she said. They needed to be green. White was obviously a Hyuuga trait. Blue...Blue reminded her too much of Naruto. Brown, well, she thought of green first anyway. Maybe he could pass off as a distant cousin of Sakura-san's?

Hinata sighed. She needed to stop thinking about it. Finishing her tea, Hinata rinsed the cup out and watched the tea leaves collect around the drain. She used to be able to tell fortunes from tea leaves. It was a party trick, but it was always fun. Her friends would line up in the room just to hear her tell fortunes.

_"Me next! Me next!" Ino shouted, eagerly handing her now empty tea cup to Hinata. Hinata glanced in her tea cup, and used a stir rod to poke a small bunch of leaves._

_"I see...ano...I see a paint brush? Maybe it means a future with a close friend, who can paint?" Hinata said. Ino's face was hard to read. Ever since she started training with Ibiki-san, she could control her emotions as if they were never there. But Hinata had always been observant. She saw a slight spark of glee. Smiling ever so softly, Hinata peered behind Ino to see who was next._

_It was the birthday boy himself. Hinata blushed as Naruto came with his recently emptied tea cup, and held her hands out so that he could place the cup in them. His hand had brushed hers ever so slightly. Both Naruto and Hinata jumped at the contact. Hinata's face turned lobster red and Naruto's was dusted with rose. _

_"An..ano...L-let's see h-here...Ano..I-I see, I see, a c-cross.." Trailing off, Naruto's famous grin slipped. Only slightly. It was hard for him not to grin. This was his first birthday party ever. He had just come back from his mission to find Sasuke, and wasn't expecting it. _

_Crosses, from what she had read, were never good. It had always meant a death in the future, and since Naruto had already read the tea leaf book she had bought him as a gift, he knew what it meant too._

_"A-ano...D-dont worry...I-it's just a s-silly book. Anyway...H-happy 16th, N-naruto-kun." Hinata said, trying, and failing to say it without stuttering._

Hinata sighed. She seemed to be doing alot of that these days. Nearly everything she did reminded her of Naruto. It was painful.

Hinata's train of thought was interrupted by Kouden.

"Kaa-san! I finished the scroll!" Kouden said, his voice starting to sound like a mini-Naruto. Sigh.

"That's great! Now that you have finished, I deem you worthy." Hinata said, smirking.

"What? Worthy of what?" Kouden said, curiousity always got the better of him.

"Being a Konoha shinobi! Why do you think I trained you so hard this past month!"

Kouden's mouth was agape. Hinata let out a laugh, despite her mood.

"For true? This isn't a joke?" He said, his voice rising louder and louder with each word.

Hinata smiled and put her hands firmly on her son's shoulders.

"No, it's not a joke, and I want you to be on your best behavoir. Tomorrow, my cousin is going to take you into custody." Hinata wondered how neji-ni-san was doing, but she could ask tomorrow.

"Cousin? You have a cousin? I thought you said you had no family?" Kouden asked, Hinata winced at the slight hurt in her son's voice.

"Yes, I also have a little sister. And a father, but your grandmother died shortly after your Aunt was born. We actually have lots of family, but I dont consider them family. They are the reason I left Konoha. I dont advise seeking them out. We dont exist. Remember?" Kouden's face was one of awe. So much family in one day.

"Demo...Kaa-san, does your cousin, the one that i'm going to stay with know we exist? What's his name? What is he like? Is he nice?" Kouden asked, and Hinata blinked.

"Woah...slow down there." Hinata said, gather the answers in her mind. "Umm, Yes, he knows that I exist, but not about you. Well, he does now, I sent him a letter. For his name? Neji. But you will have to ask his what he wants to be called." Taking a breath, Kouden used that break to bombard her with questions again.

"Kouden! Stop! I'll tell you on the way. But for as what he is like? It's been nine years since I have seen him. I dont remember any more. I'm sorry." Hinata said, and Kouden stopped.

"Now, please go pack, we are leaving for the village in a an hour. You can say good bye to Sasami-chan and then we have to meet up with Neji-ni-san." And before she could blink Kouden was up the stairs to the loft that his room occupied. Hinata could hear him dropping things in the rush to pack.

Hinata herself went to her small room, overlooking her garden. She deactivated the inverted genjutsu on the corner of her room and the air shimmered for an instant before disolving to reveal a wooden carton. The carton was stuffed full of scrolls.

Hinata ran her fingers over a few before plucking one out of the bunch. It was yellowed from age, and one of the ends had a few tears. It had a dusty blue ribbon tied around it, and a bell tied to one of the ribbon ends. Hinata smiled at it. She took the scroll and a few ryo from her safe (hidden by genjutsu, of course) and put them carefully in her sling-on sack. Pulling the curtains on her window closed, she locked her window, and made her bed.

Hinata looked up at the ceiling. Kouden had stopped moving around. Heading towards the stairs that lead to his loft, she heard the moving start again.

Poking her head up into Kouden's room, she sighed. It was a mess. She was sure THAT particular trait had come from Naruto. Hinata herself was always very neat.

"Kouden, are you packed? We are leaving in 10 minutes." A bag flew out of his extensive closet, and Hinata had to duck to avoid it.

"Hai, Kaa-san! I'll be down in a minute!" His shouting sounded muffled. He was probably lost in that jungle of a closet. Hinata rolled her eyes and walked back down the stairs. Opening her small fridge she pulled out a small dinner. Left overs. Cold turkey. Hinata smiled, although cold turkey wasnt as good as dango, it would do.

"Kaa-san! We can leave now...Is that turkey?" Kouden said, stumbling down the stairs, three bags in tow."Mmm, A little much?" Hinata said, gesturing at Kouden's bags. Kouden blushed and said,

"Well, I'm not gonna be back for a while, right? Better to bring too much, than too little." Kouden said, licking his lips at Hinata's plate of cold turkey. Hinata sighed.

"Kou-chan, you probably aren't going to come back." Kouden looked at his mother's eyes. His observing eyes trying to gaze into Hinata's soul.

"What do you mean 'not come back'?" Hinata set her plate of cold turkey on the counter. Avoiding his eyes, she said,

"Well, you will probably like it too much, Konoha is beautiful. Besides, shinobi really only ever leave the village unless they are on a mission." Kouden narrowed his white eyes.

"What about you." he said, pointedly.

"Kou-chan. You know very well that I refuse to tell you. Maybe when you are older. But dont worry, I will come and visit you, every so often." Hinata winced. That meant she had to go to the village, and she didn't know if she was ready for that. Kouden was satisfied. He grabbed a handfull of Hinata's turkey and shoved it in his mouth. Hinata smiled. She rinsed the plate off, set it out to dry and hiked her bag bag on to her back.

"Are we ready? It's night, so we can travel by trees, untill we see the village."

"Yes! Demo...Kaa-san...do you think you could carry one of my bags?" he said, sounding embarrassed.

Hinata smirked. Taking his smallest bag, she opened the door for him.

Going by trees, it took Hinata and Kouden less than 3 hours to get to the small village. They stopped tree jumping as soon as they saw the first lights of the village. Walking towards the village gates, Hinata looked down at her son. She knew that would hardly ever see him any more. he reached her hand out and pulled him close. Kouden snuggled in. He was feeling homesick already.

"Kou-chan, do you remember the story you have to give?" Kouden looked up at Hinata, his pearly white eyes seemed to glow in the sunset.

"Hai, Kaa-san. I was an orphan, raised by villagers, untill Neji-sama saw me on a mission, and saw my potential as a shinobi, and decided to have me trained in Konoha." Kouden said in monotone. He did not want to hide his parentage.

"Kaa-san, was Otou-sama famous?" He said after a break in conversation. Hinata looked at the moon and smiled.

"You could say that. If you ask any one in Konoha, they would all know him." Kouden smiled.

"But if you are going to ask, be discreet. Please, Kou-chan. It's very important no one knows that I still live." Hinata's brow furrowed slightly at this, but when she looked at the curiousity on Kouden's face, she smiled again. She was so proud of him, she nearly burst sometimes.

"Halt! You there, state your buisness for coming here this late!" A stern voice interrupted Hinata's thoughts.

"Ne, Takashi-san? Is that you?" Hinata said, squinting in the failing light. The man put his hand over his eyes, and said,

"Minako-san? Kouden-chan? Why didn't you say so! Come on in!" He said in a jolly voice, waving them in. Kouden, here, go buy a parting present for Sasami-chan." Hinata said, giving Kouden a few ryo.

"Go now, before the shops close." Kouden noded eagerly and took the ryo from his mother's hand.

Hinata grabbed his forgotten bags, and headed towards the inn that she frequented on her visits here.

"Ahh, Minako-chan!" The old innkeeper said when he spotted Hinata. "Right on time. How has your past month been?" Hinata smiled and paid for a room.

"I'm sending Kouden to Konohagakure to be trained as a shinobi. I hope he has enough potential to rise in the ranks quickly." Hinata said. The old man laughed and said,

"Oho, about time. We had one of the youngsters around here take off to Konoha to get trained. With her father, of course. He supports her every action. Spoiled child that one." He left off with smile that creased his already creased face more.

Gathering her bags, Hinata tromped up the stairs and down to the far hall. She awkwardly keyed the lock open and dumped the bags in a corner. Unrolling the pallets, she straightened the sheets and fluffed the pillows.

Looking out the window at the now dark village, she absentmindedly wondered what was taking Kouden so long, but that thought didnt last long. She heard the tell tale thumps. Kouden might be really gracefull when it came to Jyuuken...but other than that, he was really, very clumsy.

She didn't know how Neji-ni-san was going to put up with him.

Laying down on her pallet, she stared at the ceiling untill Kouden came bursting in the door.

"Kaa-san! Sasami-chan wasn't home!" Kouden said, fingering at the trinket he had bought her.

"She and Ditama-san are probably out on a fishing trip, it's not unusual at this time of year." Hinata said.

"Ahh, you're right. Oh well, I'll ask the innkeeper if he can give it to her when she gets back." Kouden nodded and took his jacket off. Groping around his sack, he pulled out a cap that he had bought a few years ago. The store keeper said that it was a penguin head, and that they lived very far south, at the bottom of the world. Hinata thought it nonsense, but Kouden bought every word, and never sleeps without it.

Getting comfortable in their palets, Hinata heard her son's breath even out after a few minutes. Hinata's eyes, nearly glowing in the moonlight, slowly closed, and she slipped into the world of dreams, where she could once again be in Naruto's arms.

Hinata was getting anxious. Very anxious. Neji-ni-san and Shikamaru were late. She activated her byakugan and scouted. Kouden did the same, but only because Hinata activated hers.

"Kaa-san! Is that them?" Kouden pointed. Hinata spotted them a split second before Kouden, but he had a faster mouth.

"Hai, Kou-chan. That's them." Hinata stood up and dusted her pants off. Not long after, the two ANBU landed on the dirt in front of Hinata and Kouden rising a small cloud of dust. The ANBU with the deer mask took it off and grinned. A lazy grin, but a grin nonethless. The second ANBU took his off as well. Kouden gasped. This was his first time seeing a byakugan other than his mother's or his own. Neji's looked so much more powerful than Hinata's had ever been. Kouden moved slightly behind his mother.

"Hinata-sama...I see you are well." he peered down at Kouden. A slight smile worked his way onto his face. Hinata inwardly gasped. Neji-ni-san smile?

"So, Neji-ni-san, how are you? How is everyone?" Hinata said, trying to calm Kouden with her stray hand.

"You missed alot. Tenten and I got married...the year you left actually. We have a daughter. Aiko. She's 7 years old. Tsunade-sama petitioned to have the curse seal forbidden, and won, so I am the last to have it." Hinata gasped, imagining Neji's daughter, she must be cute.

"Is..is she nice?" Kouden said, slowly coming out from behind Hinata. Neji smiled.

"She is very nice, and I'm sure she would love a play mate. How old are you now...what was your name?"

"Kouden...and Im almost 9, N-neji-sama." Neji chuckled and ruffled his hand through Kouden's hair. Kouden giggled inspite of himself.

"He looks so much like Naruto...Kami..." Neji said trailing off. Kouden perked hearing his father's name.

"You knew of Otou-sama?" Neji laughed. So did Shikamaru.

"Did I know him? Of course I did. Kid, your father's famous. Way back when we were kids, we had were in a fight for a tournament, and he kicked my ass."

"Neji-ni-san! Watch your mouth! I will NOT have my son talking like a crook. If you don't mind." Hinata said. Neji laughed louder. This was definatly not the Neji Hinata knew. She looked over at Shikamaru.

"So, how is Konoha holding up? How are the rookie nine doing? I heard about Sasuke-kun and Sakura-san. I'm happy for them." Shikamaru grinned.

"Well, Hinata, everyone misses you. You know you really should come back." Hinata glared at him. Shikamaru raised his hands. "Well, it's your descision. But any ways, I guess, to make it short, Ino and Sai hooked up, like you said they would. Ino's son is insane. Slim like her, Sai's hair, and is starting to show interest in mind workings. And he's only 6. A true genius of the Yamanaka clan. Kiba went to the sand on a year long mission and came back with a kid, but no mother, not quite so sure what happened there. Umm...Shino is dating a normal citizen, she likes bugs too, she's strange. Lee is still single, and I think he still lives with Gai-sensei. You know about Sakura-san and Sasuke. Uhh..." Shikamaru paused, thinking of what to say next.

"What about you? You didn't say anything about you." Hinata said. Shikamaru sighed.

"Me and Temari were dating before you left. We aren't married, but she's expecting our first. Due in a few weeks. The whole living in different villages thing is getting to us. I might join Sand permanently."

As the topic died, the group gave it a moment of silence, before Kouden broke it.

"Kaa-san. Come with us. Please?" He was on the verge of tears, making his bright white eyes sparkle.

"I agree with my little cousin here. Come back. You were never on the missing-nin list. Tsunade-sama made sure." Kouden gasped, and Hinata shot Neji a glare.

"Missing-nin? Kaa-san?" Kouden said, looking back and forth at Neji and Hinata.

"Neji-ni-san!" Hinata half shouted, making Neji step back. "Never mind, Kouden. I'll tell you when you are older. It's a very bad memory." Hinata looked at Neji, and then back at Kouden.

"So what does his grave look like? I dont suppose my father would let his name be put on the memorial."

"No, you're right. What he did, he paid for. He was removed from his position and punished accordinly. Hanabi took over as clan head, but I was regeant untill she turned 17. As for his grave...I dont think Kouden should be here for this..." Neji trailed off, looking at his little cousin. Shikamaru nodded and said,

"Hey, Kouden-chan, lets go find shells! Im sure there are a bunch of cool ones. We dont have any beaches in Konoha." Kouden nodded and ran ahead of Shikamaru. Hinata turned her attention back to Neji.

"He..well...After the incident, Hiashi ordered his body dumped. Apparently, before anyone knew it, some one took his body out into the woods some where and dumped it. No one ever found it. The Inuzuka clan said they smelled alot of blood and wild animals. He was probably eaten by animals." His brow had furrowed.

Hinata stared at him in shock. She blinked and the next thing she knew, Kouden, Shikamaru, and Neji were all leaning over her face.

"Kaa-san!" Kouden had been crying.

"Hinata-sama! You're awake! You fainted, are you all right?" Neji said. Hinata looked at them all, and then the reason she had fainted hit her. Hard. She grabbed Kouden and dragged him to the ground. Hugging him tightly she started to cry. Long heart-breaking sobs.

Kouden was puzzled. His mother never cried. He didnt know what to do so he just held onto her tighter.

"Hinata...it's getting late. We need to go. We have lots of travelling to do. Are you sure you dont want to come with us?" Shikamaru said, trying one last time to convince her. Hinata smiled through her receding tears. "Just go. Kou-chan, I'll send you a letter when I come to visit." He nodded.

"Visit? As in actually come into the village?" Hinata glared at Neji.

"You wont recognize me. I didn't spend the last 9 years doing nothing." Neji tightened his lips and helped Hinata up. She dusted her pants off and sighed.

"Bye! Kaa-san! I'll buy you something!" Kouden said, making Hinata smile. She hugged him one last time before Neji said,

"Ok, let's go." Shikamaru and Kouden jumped into a tree. When Hinata could barely make them out on the horizen, Neji said to her,

"Please, Hinata-sama, we all miss you. So very much. It breaks my heart to hear everyone talk about you as if you were dead. Please, think about it." He grabbed Hinata's shoulders and kissed her forehead, leaving Hinata red in the face, and confused in the mind as Neji jumped into a tree.

So much had changed.

Chapter 2 end.

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters. But all of the OC's are mine.**

I've decided that I am going to upload chapters every Monday and Thursday, or try to at least. :D


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for all the reveiws 3

**Chapter 3**

Kouden's POV

Neji-ni-san, as he told me to call him, was odd. I had decided this a few hours into our journey. After the shock of seeing a byakugan so powerful wore off me, I started to notice things about him. His quirks. Like when he was thinking, he ether had his hand running through his, rather long, dark brown hair, or his hand was twitching. As if it wanted to stroke a kunai. But whenever he noticed me watching him, he would smile, very un-serious like, and ruffle my hair.

Shikamaru, I had heard his name in my household before. Only once. I had refused to get out of bed one day, and Kaa-san told me to stop pulling a Shikamaru. She then gasped, and tried to pretend she had never said it. But I remembered. Kaa-san told me I was very observant. That the Hyuuga blood runs strong in me.

I once asked about my Uzumaki blood. I thought that if Kaa-san didnt want to talk about her parents, maybe she would talk about Otou-sama's.

_"Ne, Kaa-san, did you know Otou-sama's parents?" Kouden said, out of the blue one day. Hinata looked at Kouden sadly._

_"Iie. Naruto did not have any parents. He said that they had both died the day he was born." Hinata looked back at the garden. The soft look apeared in her eyes, and Kouden knew she was thinking of his father._

_Hinata wrapped an arm around Kouden and pulled him closer._

I saw the pain in Kaa-san's eyes, even though I couldnt have been more than 6 years old. It hurt my heart to see her like that. I wanted to resent Otou-sama for putting Kaa-san through so much pain, but everytime I mentioned him, Kaa-san's eyes softened.

I, the watchful Uzumaki, finally figured out what that look was. Love. Utter adoration. I knew then that if Otou-sama left Kaa-san, it was for a good reason. I hope.

"Ne, Kouden-chan! Are you still with us?" that was Shikamaru, he was like the cool older brother I never had.

"Yea, yea. But how far away is Konoha? When are we gonna break?" I was anxious. Shikamaru just laughed. I frown, I hate being laughed at.

"Umm, I think I can safely say, that if we go without incident, we can be at Konoha by early tomorrow...that is if you can keep up." I puffed my chest out. He thinks I can't keep up?

"I can keep up! Im almost 9! Kaa-san's been training me to be a shinobi since I could walk!" Really, Kaa-san said it was for self defence, no son of hers would be a moving target. But shinobi sounded cooler.

"Oh, oh really now? Well, when we get to Konoha, I'll have to spar the mighty Kouden-chaaaaan!" Shikamaru dragged out that chan just to make me mad. Grr. If I was bigger I would so, what did Neji-ni-san say? O yea.

Kick his ass.

I'm sure Kaa-san would probably throw a fit if she could read my thoughts. As if I hadnt heard it all before. Me and Sasami-chan would often overhear the other fishermen talk like that. It got bad once, and I had felt the need to cover Sasami-chan's ears.

Mmm. Sasami-chan. I'm gonna miss her. But i'm almost a grown man. I can't be thinking about the times we used to run up and down the shores. All those sandcastles. Sigh. I'm gonna miss her.

"Kouden-chan, stop, and be quiet." Neji-ni-san grabbed the collar of my jacket, and pulled me down slightly. My heart started to beat faster. Neji-ni-san was looking around. His byakugan was activated. Shikamaru was leaning against a tree, and he looked like he was asleep.

I quietly activated my byakugan, and I felt Neji-ni-san gaze through his skull at me. But only for a second, as his attention was turned towards the woods once again. I followed his gaze untill it came to rest on a a group of people. Peddlers. No, shinobi! My heart is beating faster. I pour more chakra into my eyes, and Neji-ni-san puts a hand on my shoulder. Shaking his head slightly, he whispers,

"Dont. Let it go. You've seen them. Any more chakra and they will spot us." I only nodded. Lowering my hand, I let the chakra run from my eyes. Glancing at Shikamaru, he still appeared to be sleeping.

But I am watchful. He was tense, in a relaxed way. He was ready to fight.

Normal POV

"Akahoushi-sensei, some one is using chakra, someone not from here!" A younger nin said. His grass hiteate secured around his forehead. Akahoushi rolled his eyes. Even though the young nin was still a genin, he should learn not to point out the obvious. The rest of the group, consisting of Himself, and his three genin students, had already tensed. They felt the intruders. A branch snapped and the group whirled around.

Two ANBU stepped out of the woods. _ANBU, great. Just what I need._ The ANBU with the deer mask raised his hand.

"May I ask why four grass-nin are tresspassing on Fire Country Territory?" Akahoushi smiled, more a sneer, but a smile nonetheless. Akahoushi pulled out a small booklet and tossed it to the other ANBU, the one with the mask of an animal he didnt recognize. The ANBU leafed through his book and tossed it back.

"Chuunin exams, eh? Are you sure your students are ready? The Chuunin exams are hell in Konohagakure." The Deer ANBU said. The other ANBU rolled his eyes, unseen behind his mask.

"My students are the best the Grass has to offer. They could beat your Leaf genin any day." Akahoushi looked back over his 2 students.

"Hey!" Akahoshi yelled, making his students jumped. "Where did Kichiro go? I told him to not make trouble!" His remaining students, and the ANBU glanced around the glade. Kichiro was no where to be seen.

"Nya! Akahoushi-sensei! I found a rat! These ANBU were hiding some one! Probably trying to overwhelm us!" A voice, Kichiro's voice, came yelling from a tree, and if that hadnt disturbed the silence, the bone breaking crack that followed it did.

A small blonde body was thrown into the clearing, his arm visably broken. The ANBU with the unknown animal mask hissed and quickly hoisted the boy up, looking at his arm. The deer ANBU shot a glare at Akahoushi.

"Control your students or I will have to ask you to leave Fire Country!" Emphasizing on 'ask'.

Akahoushi shivered.

"KICHIRO-BAKA! GET DOWN HERE NOW, BY KAMI I SWEAR, THAT IS YOUR LAST STRIKE!" Akahoushi yelled. Birds in nearby trees flew off with disgruntled caws and twitters.

The small blonde boy woke up with a jerk, jarring his arm. He cried out in pain, and shot a glare at the now returning Kichiro. With a another small cry, the boy broke free from the ANBU's arms and rushed at Kichiro.

Kichiro laughed, this runt wanted to pick on him? He was at least, a foot taller than the blonde kid. Kichiro let his mind wander at how this kid could even think of winning, when he felt a poke in his stomach. And then another, and then another, and then they started picking up speed. He glanced down at the blonde kid. With one arm, he was poking Kichiro faster than Kichiro could watch. His arm looked like a black blur. His other arm lay limp at his side.

Then, the blonde kid stopped. He was sweating as he jumped back.

"I could only get 32, I havent learned it one handed yet." The blonde kid mumbled. The Unknown Animal ANBU didnt move, he was still staring at Kichiro. So was Akahoushi. Actually, everyone was staring at Kichiro. Kichiro tried to say that that was nothing, but he found that he couldnt move.

A gust of wind swept up, and Kichiro started to tip. His body started to move again, and as he fell, he doubled up and coughed up blood. His only female teamate caught him before he hit the ground.

"What did that brat do?" Akahoushi yelled, turning red in the face as he gazed at his now unconcious student.

"Jyuuken, it appears. One handed Jyuuken at that." The taller ANBU said. Turning his back to Akahoushi, his long brown hair swaying in the moonlight, he said to the blonde boy,

"Has your mother been teaching you that? I mean, she didn't even master it untill she was 15! And what are you, 9?" The boy grinned a foxy grin, one that reminded A particular lazy ANBU of Naruto.

"Not one handed, I had to improvise." Kouden said breathily. His arm really hurt.

"I do suggest that you take your students and hurry it up to Konoha. Before I get angry." The deer ANBU said. It sounded as if he was clenching his teeth the whole time.

Akahoshi sneered again, and hoisted Kichiro onto his shoulder. The two remaining student jumped high onto the treetops and was soon followed by Akahoushi.

As soon as the taller ANBU determined they were out of earshot, he slipped his mask to the side of his head. The deer ANBU followed suit. The blonde boy wiped the sweat off his forehead. His arm really hurt.

"Ouch, Kouden-chan, that looks painful, ever broken an arm before?" The deer ANBU, Shikamaru, said.

"Iie...My wrist, but Kaa-san's a medic-nin." Kouden was still breathing through his teeth. The taller ANBU then said,

"Ne, Kouden-chan, no one here is a medic-nin. You're gonna have to wait untill the next village before we can get it looked at." He looked at the sky, "It's about three hours from here, tree jumping." Kouden nodded.

"Ahh, Neji, do you want to set it, or should I?" Kouden didn't know what 'setting' meant, but from the look on Neji's face, he got the idea, that he didn't want to know. Neji sighed.

"I will. I can get it more accurate. You can find a splint." Neji kneeled down so he was eye level with Kouden.

"Kouden-chan, can you take your jacket off?" Kouden complied, wincing when his sleeve passed over his slightly crooked arm. After his jacket lay in a heap on the ground, Neji gently put his hand on Kouden's elbow, and took a hold of his wrist.

"Kid, this is gonna hurt like hell. Feel free to scream." and without warning Neji pulled sharply on Kouden's arm, and using his byakugan, pushed it back so it was straight with the rest of his arm bone.

Miles away, Akahoushi and the rest of his conscious students swiveled their heads towards the place that they had encountered.

"Ne, Akahoushi-sensei, did you hear that?" The kunoichi said. Akahoushi nodded. But he couldn't place what it was. It almost sounded like...like a...scream. Akahoushi shuddered and continued to Konohagakure.

Dawn streaked across the sky by the time that the trio arrived in the small village off the main road. Neji's hair had burs in it, and Shikamaru's leggings had a hole from catching a branch. Other than that, the two ANBU were in perfect condition. Other things could be said for their young friend.

Kouden's eyes were still puffy from crying. Everytime he jumped from branch to branch, his arm jostled, shooting darts of pain up his arm. Shikamaru didn't come back with the splint untill Kouden had stopped screaming. That kid had a set of lungs.

_Just like his father._ Neji had thought. It made him smile.

But Kouden tried to be manly about it, after he stopped screaming, he just leaked silent tears. Shikamaru helped some. He had a few painkiller pills that were a Akimichi clan secret. They dulled the pain to a constant ache. For an hour or so. Then the shooting pains came back.

Neji was impressed, though. He didnt complain once.

Walking through the streets, Neji wasn't surprised to see a few Shinobi here and there. He tapped Kouden on the shoulder.

"Dont look anyone in the eyes, they'll know your related to me." Kouden took a step more before answering.

"Got it covered. One step ahead, Neji-ni-san." He said, grinning like a fox. Neji looked at him, and jumped when Kouden had bright green eyes, with pupils, nonetheless. He looked like what Sakura and Naruto would have produced if they had ever hooked up.

"Heh, partial henge, how long did it take for Hinata-sama to teach you that one?" Neji asked, offhandedly.

"Mmm, Well, I got it in an afternoon, but It took me three days to get it so it didn't just drop at anytime. It took another two weeks to invert it though. Inverting genjutsus are hard." Kouden brow furrowed. Neji gaped, and Shikamaru laughed, gaining the attention of another ANBU.

The ANBU, sporting a dog mask wandered over to the trio and waved. Lifting his mask, it was revealed to be Kakashi.

"Hey, Neji, Shikamaru, kid." lowering his hand, he pulled out a sucker and tossed it at Kouden.

"Nnn! Arigato, sensei!" Kouden said before sticking the sucker in his mouth. Neji looked at Kakashi.

"You've met?" Neji said. Only Kakashi and Kouden noticed the touch of heat in his question.

"Aa. Didn't Shikamaru tell you? It was me, him, and Yuugao-chan who first saw him. I was the team leader to kill that nin." Kakashi peered over at Shikamaru who just sighed and mumbled 'mendokuse' under his breath.

"No, no he didnt. But anyway, Kakashi, any medic-nin in the area? Ran into a grass team on their way to Konoha for the exams. One of the hot heads got excited and broke the little kid's arm. I set it, but I'm sure it's painful to treejump with." Both Neji and Kakashi looked at Kouden. In the process of retreiving his sucker from his mouth, he jarred his arm again. He was wiping away stray tears and has face turned redder.

"Hmm, actually, I think you're in luck. Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan and Oshi-chan are in town, on a small vacation. What are the odds?" Kakashi tilted his head. Neji sighed. He lifted his hand and said,

"Well, take us to them. Kouden, remember your story?" Kouden nodded.

"My name is Kouden, I have no family, no surname, and you found me trying to train after seeing ninja pass through my village, and decided I had potential." Neji nodded. They had changed it slightly from Hinata's story, but it followed the same lines.

"Nyuu, Neji, I'm gonna go score some food. Meet you here in...two hours?" Neji waved him off, and Shikamaru left. Kakashi lead, and Kouden followed. Neji brought up the rear, his hand on Kouden's shoulder.

"Che! Kakashi-sensei! It's been awhile, you're always on missions...oh! Neji-san! How are you? How are Tenten and Aiko doing?" A woman with flaming pink hair said, standing up from her table in the small open cafe. In her arms she held a small child, no more than a year old, who had very dark eyes, and very pink hair. A boy, Kouden determined. He chuckled. He didn't want to be that kid. Neji waved his hand.

"Fine, fine, how is the baby?" Neji said.

"Ohh, he's great. Oshi-chan is good too." That earned a chuckle from Neji and Kakashi, and a groan from a man at the pink-haired lady's table.

"Aa. Sakura-san, that wasn't the reason we came, my young friend here needs his arm fixed. He has a lot of travelling left to do." Neji pushed Kouden forward. Kouden blushed slightly. He could be shy sometimes too.

"My..." Sakura looked up at Neji. Kouden just continued to stare at Sakura with his fake green eyes. "He looks alot like a certain someone. Hey little guy, do you have a name?" Sakura said, handing her son to the sitting man and kneeling down to Kouden's eye level.

"K...Kouden...Sakura-san." Kouden said, slightly stuttering. Sakura ruffled his hair.

"Ooo, that makes me sound old, how about Sakura-ne-chan?" Kouden nodded and Sakura continued.

"So, who are your parents?"

"Unn, I dont know...I have no family. Neji-ni-san found me and decided I had potential. Im going to become a shinobi!" Kouden started to lose his shyness at the chance to brag. Sakura laughed and stood up.

"How'd he break his arm?" She asked Neji.

"Over-eager grass-nin on his way to the chuunin-exams." Sakura sighed. She leaned over Kouden and held his arm out gently. Her other hand hovered over the broken spot, and Kouden jumped a little when it suddenly appeared to catch on fire. Green fire, but fire all the same. She touched his arm and within seconds Kouden felt his arm cool down and the throbbing stop.

When Sakura took her hands of Kouden's arm, he moved it around. Not feeling pain he looked up at Sakura.

"It's nearly completely healed, hun. You can take off that splint now. Just no major fighting for a few days, at most a week." Kouden laughed and started to unwrap his splint.

"So tell me more about where you found this kid. If I didn't know better, he looks...Legendary." Sakura said, for lack of a better word. Kouden finished unwrapping his splint, and held the pile of wrappings in his arms. Listening closely to the conversation.

"He was out hitting trees. Said he saw visiting nin do it, and he wanted to be a shinobi. He had already used chakra by that point, he even pulled off a simple jutsu I showed him." Neji smiled, even if it was a complete lie, he still felt proud of his little cousin. Sakura smiled. Kouden couldnt figure out what kind of a smile it was. His new ne-chan kind of frightened him, but in a way that didn't make him scared of her.

"Really? How old is he?" Neji grunted and Kouden said,

"Ne-chan, I'm almost 9! How old were you when you became a shinobi?" Sakura's smile quivered, but she answered before Kouden could catch it.

"When I became a genin, you mean? sigh those were the days. I was twelve years old, and I got put onto a team with the boy I liked," she gestured over at the man on the table behind her, playing with her son." and with the boy I hated, but later made best friends with." Kouden blinked. She married her teamate? Weird.

"What about the boy you hated, who was he?" Kouden asked. Neji made a noise, but Kouden was too curious to listen. Sakura sighed as unwanted tears spring into her eyes. The man behind her reached out with a gloved hand and let it rest on her thigh. She placed her hand over his and said,

"His name was Uzumaki Naruto, he was such a good friend, loyal, hardworking." She choked a littled, "He loved ramen, that and his dream to become Hokage." Kouden's eye's widened. Neji put his face into his hand.

Kouden knew what was coming next. Maybe Sakura could tell him how his Otou-sama died.

"Although, he died over nine years ago. We all miss him so much."

"Unn...Sakura-ne-chan, how did he die?" Neji's face shot out of his hand. He grabbed Kouden shoulder and said,

"Ahaha. Sakura, that's such a sad story. We dont want to be giving this kid nightmares do we?" Nightmares? How had Naruto died? Kouden let his shoulder's droop.

"Oh, yes, I guess you are right." She trailed off, looking at her son. He was now asleep in the arms of that man, who was now standing behind Sakura.

"Sakura, we have to go now anyway. I have to meet Ibiki." Sakura's face sparked. If they were to see Ibiki, then they'd probably spot Ino. Ino was his apprentice in torture. Sakura had never thought that her choice of career was surprising. It suited Ino just fine.

"Ahh...Arigato, ne-chan!" Kouden waved at the retreating form of Sakura and her, husband, Kouden had guessed. A small cloud of smoke poofed beside Kouden and Kakashi apeared. Reading a small red book. The 12th in the series, first edition signed copy of Icha Icha Makeout Tactics 4. Neji rolled his eyes and Kouden didn't know what to think.

He didn't even know what making out meant.

After they found Shikamaru, apparently dozing in a corner, the trio left the small village rather quickly. Kouden was the first to stab the silence.

"So, Sakura-ne-chan was on Otou-sama's genin team?" He knew what that was all about. He had read it in one of the many scrolls his mother owned. Shikamaru grinned.

"Yea, she was the smartest of all us rookie nine, except for me. She kept both Sasuke and Naruto in check at all times. Her team was special. All three of them had been taught by the Ledgendary Sannin. They had meant to be apprentices so that when they were good enough, they'de become the Sannin themselves."

"Who was Otou-sama taught by?" Neji laughed this time. But Shikamaru continued.

"Jiraiya, the Frog sennin, or as Naruto called him, Ero-sennin. He was the biggest pervert I had ever seen. Sakura was under Tsunade's apprenticeship untill she turned 18, so...6 years? Yeah. Sasuke, that man who was probably with Sakura, was taught by Orochimaru, for nearly 3 years. Naruto dragged him back kicking and screaming from the evil sennin. When we get to Konoha, you'll have to ask Tsunade-sama about it. She likes telling little children that tale." Kouden gaped. Orochimaru? He had read about him. Apparently he had killed the 3rd Hokage, and triggered the attack that had killed the 4th Hokage as well. Hinata had told him that it was all because Sandaime didn't pick him to be the 4th.

The rest of the trip was quiet and uneventful. Neji made them stop for a few hours to let Kouden nap, but they took off again right away. Soon, sooner than Neji had expected, Konohagakure came into veiw. As Kouden took in the sights, all he could do was gasp.

So this is where his parents grew up.

End Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters. But all of the OC's are mine.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Hinata's trip back to her small cottage was fairly uneventful. After giving over Kouden, she had picked up some groceries and tipped a few back at the bar. Hinata ran her fingers along the edge of a small end table by her door. Lifting her fingers to her face, she sighed. It was very dusty. She hadnt cleaned since Kouden started his training.

Hinata sighed, and then sighed again because she noticed that she was sighing alot. Moving towards her room, she dumped her bags on the floor and flopped down on her bed. She lifted her hand and half heartedly pushed the curtains back. It was morning now. The birds were just starting to twitter. Closing her eyes Hinata fell into a much needed sleep.

_Thock! _"Nnn...Naruto..kun...that's a wall..." Hinata mumbled.

_Thock thock!_ Hinata opened a pale eye. she noticed it was dark out. Had she slept that long?

_THOCK!_ The noise got louder. Hinata rose and activated her byuakugan. There was someone at her door. Deactivating it, she opened her door and saw a girl, who appeared to be in her early 20's.

The girl's eyes were wide, sparkling bright blue in the moon light. Hinata glanced down and gasped. She was covered in blood from her elbows down, and all down the front of her dress. The girl started, as if she was in a daze.

"P..Please! You have to help! My partner! He's hurt, and I can't do anything more! Thank god someone lives out here!" She said, frantically, the words climbing over themselves to get out of her mouth. Hinata, slightly taken back at the volume of her voice, nodded. The girl grabbed her hand yanked Hinata out of her house.

"This way...Oh Kami-sama, there were so many..." the girl let out a shuddering sob that Hinata felt through her hand... The girl stopped and gasped,

"Oh no! I forgot to ask! Do you have any medical supplies?" Hinata moved her fingers around, the girl was squeezing them hard and they were slowly going numb.

"Ano...I'm a medic nin..." Hinata said, and opened her mouth to say more, but the girl gave a tension filled laugh and pulled Hinata to where ever her partner was resting.

They'd been running for a full five minutes before they arrived. But Hinata knew they were getting close. There was blood everywhere. On the trees, the ground, even in the moonlight she could see that everything was slick. Hinata tasted bile in her throat. It reminded her of that day.

_"...N..naruto-kun? Naruto-kun? No! Naruto!" Hinata yelled, shaking the body of her blonde boyfriend. Hinata's hand slipped, and she looked at it. Red, that's all she saw. She fell to her knees, her other hand, red too. Hinata looked at her shirt, everything was red, red with the blood of her love. Her hands started to quiver. Hinata looked at the sky. It had started to snow. The stark contrast of the snow on the blood is was caused Hinata to snap. Her wordless shreik could be heard for a mile around..._

Hinata blinked. She hadn't thought of that in years. Night mares, yes, but thoughts? No. She thought it was best for her mental health not to dwell on her past. Hinata shook her head.

The girl had let go of her hand to wander over to a lump that Hinata wouldnt have seen. The girl sank to her knees beside him. She shook his body gently.

"Yamato...please, wake up, I did it, I found someone to help you! Yamato! Yamato wake up!" she said, her voice starting in a whisper, and ending in a shout. Hinata winced. It was so much like her past.

Kneeling down on the other side of the man, Yamato, her hand lit up and the girl jumped.

Hinata sucked in sharply. This man was barely alive, and he was cut all over. Placing her hand over his more needing wounds, she set to work. The girl's eyes widened farther than they had before as she watched the skin on his neck slowly knit together. Hinata grinned. She hadn't used chakra like this in a while, but she was glad she wasnt as rusty as she thought she would be.

The man jumped, convulsed. Hinata started, and the girl nearly fell over. Convulsing again, Hinata's grin slipped.

"Chikuso! His pulse is slowing down!" Hinata activated her byakugan and poured more chakra into the wound that she was working on. This wound was really deep, and it was spread across his abdomen. Across his heart. Hinata grunted. This much chakra use was getting at her.

"C..can I help? In anyway? I cant stand the thought of losing him!" the girl said, her bloodstained hands in tight balls at her chin. She was on the verge of breaking out into tears. Hinata just shook her head.

"Unless you can spare some chakra, but you're a citizen. Citizen's don't usually have chakra." Hinata's lips pursed.

"No, I can...my sister was a shinobi...I didnt want that way of life...she taught me some control." Hinata had to strain her ears again. She was letting her words jumble out. After puzzling them out, Hinata said,

"Well, can you put your hands over mine, and pump chakra into them?" The girl nodded.

Licking her lips, the girl started to pour fresh chakra into Hinata's hands. Hinata welcomed the rush, and set back to work. The man, Yamato, stopped convulsing. His heart beat steadied, but was still low.

"That's all I can do for now...Here, let's take him back to the cottage, I can treat him better there." The girl nodded and helped Hinata lift Yamato up.

Ten awkward minutes later, and Hinata set Yamato down on her bed. He still had a big open gash on his chest, and across his face. Another look at the girl in the light proved that she took took a wound to the face. Hinata took her emergency aid kit out from a cuppoard in the kitchen. It was stuffed full of gauze and bandages. Hinata looked at the girl.

"Go wash up. The bathroom is the the other door out there." The girl looked at her hands and nodded.

Taking the scraps of Yamato's shirt off, she grimaced. The major wound that she had healed was red and puckered, where as the neck wound looked a little better, the one Hinata needed to bandage was still bleeding freely.

Hinata's hand lit up with the special green fire, and she rested her hand on the wound. His pulse was still steady, but still low. The edges of the still bleeding wound started to scab.

The girl had returned from the bathroom with clean face, and clean hands, but her dress was still covered in blood. Hinata could also see the redness rimming her eyes.

"Is he gonna be ok?" She asked. Hinata sighed and looked at Yamato. The bleeding had stopped. She removed her hand and took out a big wad of gauze.

"He should be, most of the bleeding has stopped, and I closed his major wounds. How he survived having his throat cut is a mystery to me. He will be sporting some major scars." Hinata sighed again and started to work on wrapping Yamato up.

When she finished, he looked like a mummy. His entire torso was bandaged, his neck, and the upper half of his face, which had taken a nasty, but not serious cut.

"Here, let me see your face." Hinata said. The girl nodded and Hinata started to bandage the cut that formed a cresent shape from her forehead, curving around her left eye, and ending near her ear. After she had finished, the two women stared at Yamato. The silence was urking Hinata. She hated silence.

"Ano...so, what did you say your name was?" Hinata said, cursing herself as her old 'ano' habit surfaced.

"Oh, umm, Heh, I probably should have started with that. I'm Kasumi. And this here is my partner, Yamato. We are travelling to Konohagakure in hopes of starting some kind of buisness." Hinata nodded.

"Would... would you like some tea? I've got plenty of kinds." Kasumi nodded and followed Hinata out to the kitchen, sparing Yamato one last glance.

Sitting at the small table meant for two, Hinata let Kasumi pick out her preference of tea, and Hinata made quick work of a katon jutsu to heat the water up. She was lazy today.

Handing the still shaken up Kasumi her cup of tea, she automatically lifted it to her face.

Hinata stiffled a giggle when she hit the side of her lip and spilt some on her chin. That seemed to snap her out of her daze. She put her tea down and fingered the bandages covering her left eye.

"How long will it take to heal?" She said. Her voice steady, well, steadier than anything previous to now.

"Well, I almost ran out of chakra today, I can probably take a look at it tomorrow. I dont think I'll be able to make the scar go away though. Im sorry." Hinata said, lifting her own tea cup to her mouth.

Kasumi just waved her hand.

"No, no. It's fine. Scar's never bothered me. I lived in the 'bad' side of town. Scars were common."

"Speaking of, where DID you come from? I mean, this place isnt exactly commonplace for travellers to be in." Hinata asked with a raised eye brow.

"Ahh...well, I came from a small village in rock country, but I was visiting relatives in grass country. My little sister lived there with my father, who was a shinobi as well as her, I think that she is actually headed to Konoha for the chuunin exams. I hope she passes. But yes, I met Yamato a few years ago, traveling back and forth. He had just quit being a shinobi, he was a genin when he did...I never asked why, but he mentioned something about not trusting the leader in the grass. Im not sure." Kasumi trailed off.

"Ahh...so, can I ask why your friend is sitting in the next room torn to shreds?" Hinata said, but in a way that Kasumi couldnt help but smile.

"Another story, long at that. Are you sure you want to know?" Hinata sipped her tea.

"We've got time. I have nothing to do any more." Hinata said. A pang of sadness for her son hit her, but she pushed it back.

"Hmm, where to start." Kasumi paused, "Well, Yamato and I were just passing through that little village not to far from here. I ran into some one by mistake, and spilt the milk I had just bought all over him. I apologize quickly and helped him clean up, but he was still very angry. So I apologized again, but he shoved me, making me spill the rest of the food I was carrying. At this point, Yamato came to intervene, but you know men, it lead to a little violence before a tall man told them to leave. Me and Yamato were already leaving, so we just picked the food up and left. We'de gotten to that spot and a few men, big men jumped out of the bushes, and slashed Yamato across the chest. I think there were three of them. Yamato fought back with his fists, but they all had short katana's. I tried to stop them, but that's were I got this." She pointed at her face and shook her head.

"I couldn't do anything, im so weak. I'm amazed I even got here. More amazed that he survived." Kasumi said. Hinata's fist was clenched. That wasn't right. It just wasn't right.

"That's horrible! Kami-sama! Men sometimes." Hinata shook her head. Kasumi looked like she wasn't thinking of it anymore. Strange girl.

"Ano sa...So, um...where am I supposed to sleep? It looks like you live alone here..." Kasumi sqeaked, "Ahh, ahh! Gomen! I didnt mean any offence...my mouth gets away with out my brain sometimes." Kasumi cheeks reddened.

"Uhm, well, I have a spare pallet, you can sleep in Yamato's room, I suppose, unless you want to sleep out here? I'm going to sleep in my son's room."

"You have a son? Where is he?" Kasumi said, looking around.

"Oh, he's not here. Training in Konoha with family." Hinata sighed. Kasumi sighed too, but not as loudly.

An awkward silenced passed, before Hinata said,

"Well, I'm gonna go get that pallet. I'll be right back." Kasumi nodded and plodded towards the room that held Yamato.

Walking up the stairs to Kouden's room, she stood in the center, and sighed. He needed to clean his room. Picking her way carefully through his mess, she made her way to the small closet he never used. Opening it with a small sqeak, Hinata pulled out a dusty pallet, and a spare blanket. Trudging back through her son's room, she carefully made her way back to her room. Opening the door, she dropped the pile onto the floor. Kasumi squeaked again, and then looked back at Yamato.

"Here, I'll check his vitals again, and then I'll leave for the night." Kasumi nodded and squeaked again when Hinata's hand lit up with the familiar green fire. Hinata rolled her white eyes. Kasumi's sqeaking was getting annoying. The green light faded and Hinata removed her hand.

"He's fine. If he wakes up, or starts to convulse, please, wake me up. The stairs are behind the refridgerator." Kasumi nodded.

Yawning again, chakra usage was getting to her. Climbing the stairs to Kouden's room, Hinata took off her still blood soaked jacket, and collapsed on the pallet, raising a small cloud of dust.

Sigh. She'd have to talk to her son about that.

_Hinata ran, ran like she had never ran before. In each of her hands she carried a hiteate. She had been running for hours, it seemed, before she tripped on a root, and fell uncerimoniously on her face. Hinata tried to get back up, they were coming for her. All because of the terrible lies of that evil man. As far as Hinata considered, when her love's life ended, so had hers._

_Still lying on the ground, Hinata brought her hand up her face. A hiteate. His hiteate. Blood still decorated it._

_Hinata broke out into sobs. She layed there for hours, sobbing her broken heart out. She didn't even notice that someone had come upon her until his hand rested on her shoulder._

_Jerking around, she saw that it was dawn. She'd left Konoha in the afternoon. Running and crying made one loose track. _

_She stared at the ANBU, her face blanched of all feelings. She watched the snow as it drifted softly around her. She was glad, in a few minutes, she would join her beloved. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it would be relatively painless. When death did not come, Hinata opened her eyes, and found her self staring into once emotionless white eyes, now filled with concern._

_Hinata let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding._

Hinata's eyes opened and she heard the chirping of birds. She blinked, sat up, and stretched.

She had that dream again. Hinata looked at her hands and almost expected them to be covered in his blood. Hinata sighed and rubbed her hands on her shirt.

It had been a week since Kasumi and Yamato showed up. Yamato woke up late the second day, and Kasumi has been mothering him in everything. Hinata wondered why he didnt explode. The two moved up to Kouden's room, after Hinata tidied it, of course. Yamato could walk, somewhat, after the third day, but by the sixth, it was if he had never been slashed up.

Except for the obvious scars. Those were painfully obvious. The cresent scar on Kasumi's face had faded a bit when Hinata used chakra to heal it, but was still a rosy colour. Kasumi said it didn't bother her. But Hinata thought otherwise.

Getting up, Hinata pulled on a fresh pair of leggings. She found that she could look casual, and still train if she bought and made clothes that were like her old ones in Konoha. Her shirt was a blank tank top with a net mesh covering the neck. She hoped netting was still in style.

Walking out into her kitchen, she glanced out the window to see Kasumi and Yamato picking vegtables from her garden. They had agreed to help Hinata with the chores, in payment for saving Yamato's life. Nothing Hinata said could persuade them otherwise, so she just let them do their thing.

They were leaving today. They had asked, after discovering she was an ex-nin, if she could escort them to Konoha.

_"Please, Hinata-san! We need you!" Kasumi said, clasping her hands and shaking them in front of her._

_"Please, Hinata-sama, I dont want a repeat of the last incident." Yamato, said, grimacing. Hinata looked to her right. Biting her lower lip, Hinata sighed._

_"I'm sure you have your reasons for leaving, but we only ask that you come to the gates with us." Kasumi said, then added, "Besides, didn't you say your son was training there? Wouldn't you like to pay him a visit?" Hinata shot Kasumi a glare. That was a low blow. Rolling her pearly eyes, Hinata nodded._

_"Fine. But I expect you to listen to all of my precautions." Kasumi nodded and hugged Hinata._

She had already packed, and expected them to be as well. Not that there was much. It seemed they had been robbed as well as attacked.

Hinata had given a spare set of clothing to Kasumi, since she was about the same size as Hinata, and no village in it's right mind would let a blood stained civilian enter it. Yamato was a different story. Seeing as it was just Hinata and Kouden that lived in the small cabin, Hinata had to make another day long trip to the small village and back just to buy a set of clothing.

Some times Hinata cursed her generosity.

Opening her front door, Hinata called out to the two in the feilds,

"Are you guys about done yet? I'de like to get going before the sun starts beating down on us." Kasumi stood up straight, and yelled back,

"Almost! 5 more minutes, and we can leave! Yamato packed for us already." Yamato nodded and sped up his picking.

Turning back into her house, Hinata tapped her fingers on her leg. This week had been a busy week, with cleaning, and entertaining, but now, for the five minutes that she had to herself, she just didn't know what to do.

Walking, almost gliding back into her room, she took her kunai pouch off her dresser and tied it to her leg. after adjusting it around, she opened it and checked each of the 6 she had in it. After determining that they were all in working condition, she put them back, hoisted her small dark green back pack on to her shoulders, and exited her room.

Yamato was just coming from Kouden's stair case, and Kasumi was bundling rations on the small table.

"You guy's ready?" Hinata asked. Kasumi pulled the knot on the rations tight, and nodded. Yamato hitched his travel bag on his shoulders and gave a thumbs up. Hinata smirked and opened her front door.

End Chapter 4

Dedicated to my cousin.

RIP Ashley, June 25th 2006.

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters. But all of the OC's are mine.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Ni-channn! Wake up! Ka-chan said sooooo!" the shrill voice of Aiko cut through Kouden's blanket of sleep.

"Nnn..rrgnnnggg." Kouden grumbled. He rolled over, and onto the cold wood floor of the room he was staying in.

Kouden sat up and reached for his nightstand. When his hand hit air, Kouden groaned again. He wasn't at home. But his grumble soon turned into a grin as he remembered his first meeting with the Hokage.

_"Now, you say you want to be a shinobi, boy?" Kouden nodded, impressed by the bust size of the Hokage, he didn't trust his voice. Neji stood at his left and had his arms crossed. He was grinning madly._

_"Hmm, well, Since you are over the age of seven, which is when we usually start academy training here, I suppose that I'll have to give you an asessment test." Tsunade glanced at Neji._

_"You did teach him a few jutsu, I hope?" Neji nodded._

_"I also taught him the basic stances of Juuken, he picked up very fast. It helped when we ran into that Grass team." Neji scowled._

_"Juuken? Really. Juuken is usually just bastardized if you dont have the byakugan." She put her hand to chin and barked out orders for her guards to come in, causing Kouden to jump._

_"Yes, Hokage-sama?" The two ANBU said in unison._

_"Fetch me Iruka. If he is busy, then fetch me Kakashi." Kouden perked._

_"Sensei?" Kouden asked no one in particular. Tsunade looked at Neji._

_"What? We stopped at the refuge village to see if Sakura-san could heal his arm. We saw alot of people. Would you like a list?" Neji said. Tsunade waved her hand._

_"Dont be cheeky. Naruto was lucky with all I let him get away with." Tsunade turned away and missed Kouden start at his father's name. Neji put his hand on Kouden's shoulder, but when Kouden glance up at Neji, he was still staring at the Hokage's back._

_"Kid, how old did you say you were?" Tsunade said, her back still turned as she stared out of the Hokage Tower window, at the vast Village below._

_"Eight, Hokage-sama. Im almost nine." Kouden said shyly. Tsunade looked kind, but she still intimidated him._

_"Hmm. Any one ever tell you the tale of Naruto?" Neji rolled his eyes. Tsunade loved this story._

_"Iie, Hokage-sama. Neji-ni-san mentioned it, but he said that you would tell it to me, because you lo---" Neji's hand cut of Kouden's words and gave a nervous grin to Tsunade when she turned to see Neji's hand covering Kouden's mouth. Tsunade raised her eyebrow._

_"He means that you would tell it better because Naruto-san told it to you first, and bragged to us later." Tsunade sighed and turned back to the window. Neji let go of Kouden, and recieved a glare from the small blonde child._

_"Has anyone ever told you how much you look like him?" Tsunade said._

_"Hai, both Sakura-ne-chan, and Neji-ni-san said so. I think Kakashi sensei might have, but I couldn't understand anything he said. He was always reading." Tsunade gave a dry chuckle._

_"Maybe he's been reborn amoung us." Tsunade said softly, Kouden almost missed it._

_A puff of smoke and a loud pop startled Kouden so much that he turned and half hid behind Neji, who was unphazed._

_"Yo." The intruder, Kakashi, said, still reading his book. _

_Kakashi leaned against the Hokage's desk, his back to Tsunade, and flipped to the next page._

_"Kakashi. Put that book away. I will not have ANYTHING written by that old fool in my office! NOW KAKASHI!" Tsunade yelled, when Kakashi didnt move. Once his book was stashed away in one of his pockets, and Tsunade's calmed down, Kakashi spoke._

_"You called? ANBU said Iruka was busy, and that I was second best. How rude." He looked over his shoulder at Kouden. "Hey kid, Neji been his horrid self yet?" Neji narrowed his white eyes while Kouden widened his and turned to Kakashi._

_"Year three is a full year. I've had 4 new Academies from out of the village join. There is another one that is Kouden's age as well. You might have to take another Jounin team when that year graduates." Kakashi sighed, his shoulders slumping. Tsunade laughed._

_"Enjoy your freedom for another 2 and a half years, my friend. Now get out of my office. I have work to do."_

Kouden pulled his black pants on, and was tugging his blue shirt over his head when slid the screen to his room open and stuck her head in.

"Ka-chan has breakfast ready, and she's not gonna wait! Hurry up ni-chan!" Kouden sighed. Aiko, who didn't know that Kouden was actually her older cousin, stuck to Kouden's side and adopted him as an older brother.

Kouden learned the annoyances of a younger sibling within three days.

Quickly folding, more stuffing than folding, his pallet, he shoved it in the corner. He picked up his kunai pouch up, empty, becasue he wasn't alowed kunai at the academy, and tied it around his leg while walking down the hall of small house.

Neji lived in a small house near the entrance of Konoha. It was a two story house with a more traditional sense. All of the doors, except the bathrooms were shoji screens, and the downstairs was all one room. The kitchen, and the sitting room, where Kouden was currently missing an excellent breakfast cooked by Tenten. Upstairs, where Kouden had just tripped, trying to close his screen and tie is kunai pouch on, had 4 small rooms, and a bathroom at the very end. His room was across from Aiko's, and Aiko's was beside Tenten and Neji's. The last room was used for storage.

"Kouden-chan! I swear! If you dont get down here right now, I wont cook breakfast for you for a week!" Kouden winced. That was Tenten, or as she wanted to be called, Oka-chan.

Kouden jumped down the stairs, and barely landed on the landing.

He scrambled to the small table and joined Tenten and Aiko, who were both already eating. Neji had left for ANBU headquarters already. Staring down at his food, he mouth watered as he picked up his chopsticks.

"Itadekimasu!" He said, and shoveled the food into his face. Tenten smiled. Kouden saw the smile and stopped eating for a second. Tenten looked away, and Kouden started to eat slower.

He had seen that smile on Sakura's face. It was a sad smile.

_"Tenten! I brought home a gift." Kouden looked up at Neji and tried to hide behind him. Tenten appeared on the stairs and smiled warmly at Neji._

_"What'd you get me, Diamondes? Roses? Kunai?" she licked her lips after she said the last one, and Kouden shuddered._

_"Better. I brought you a son." Tenten blinked, and looked behind Neji. She gasped._

_"His name is Kouden. Found him on a village by the border. He was trying to imitate a passing nin and managed to pull off a jutsu. I was impressed, so I brought him back. He says he has no parents, and no surname. Can he stay here? We have room, and more than enough money." Neji said. Tenten kneeled down so that her eyes were just below Kouden's. She turned to Neji and said, _

_"Are you sure you didn't just steal a Haruno...or...an Uzumaki?" She said the last part in an almost whisper. Kouden stiffened. Tenten, who had her hand on his arm looked at him, and smiled. A sad smile._

_"You, little boy, remind me very much of a childhood friend." Tenten said._

_"Naruto, right? Neji-ni-san, Skika-ni-chan, and Sakura-ne-chan said so too. Why is Naruto so famous? How did he die?" Kouden blurted out. After Tenten sorted his words outs, she said, carefully, _

_"Well, I suppose I could tell you something...He was an orphan just like you, and he killed Orochimaru, who was an evil sannin, and sucessfully rescued Uchiha Sasuke." Kouden's eyes were wide and Tenten laughed._

_"I think I will leave you at that. I'll show you your room, and then have a talk with Neji-love." she glanced at Neji and he started to walk up the stairs laughing nervously._

_"See you tomorrow Kouden, we need to see the Hokage-sama and get you instated."_

After Kouden finished his meal, he said his thanks and picked up his shoulder bag. Today was his first day in the academy. Tenten handed him a lunch, and Aiko her bag.

Kouden walked out the front, holding Aiko's hand, and waved at Tenten (who was waving as well).

Along the way to the school, Kouden half listened to Aiko prattle on about the best shops, what school was like, and all of her friends. The other half of his attention was on Konoha itself. In the past week, Neji's family had taken it on as their job to show him around Konoha, but it was just so big!

Kouden had been along this route a few times already, so he started to notice that some of the villagers, particularily the older ones, stared at him. Kouden shyly lowered his head, but not before noticing the expressions on their faces. Surprise, and sometimes even hate.

Kouden's head swam. Hate? Why would they hate him? He'd never been here before! Kouden had a sneaking suspicion the hate, now that he was concentrating on it, Kouden could feel it coming off in waves from some of the other villagers, might have been the reason Hinata didn't live here. He'd once heard her curse Konoha when she thought he wasn't around.

"Aa! Noneko-chan! Over here!" Aiko's shrill shout peirced Kouden's thoughts. He looked in the direction that his cousin was shouting, and saw that a light brunette girl with thin red stripes on her cheeks waved and started towards them.

"Aiko-chan! Ohayou! Who are you walking with?" She said, hoisting her cat shaped shoulder bag. The sleeve of her shirt raised slightly and Kouden saw that she had blue stripes encircling her wrists as well.

"Ah! This is Ni-chan! He's living with me." Aiko said, tightening her grip on Kouden's sleeve. Noneko put her hands on her hips. Kouden wasn't sure how old she was, she was taller than Aiko, but still looked her age. She had shoulder length, straight brown hair, and black eyes. When she smiled, Kouden saw that she had longer and sharper than usual canines.

Noneko eyed Kouden up and down. Kouden shifted on his feet.

"Does this 'Nii-chan' have a name?" Noneko said, with a bit of sarcasm. Aiko nodded and pulled his arm even closer to her.

"Kouden! His name is Kouden. He's just starting academy, year three! To think! he's only a year older than me!" Aiko had started to walk down the street.

Noneko held out her hand and Kouden hesitated before he took it. She shook it and let go, snapping her hand back to her bag.

"Hi, my name is Inuzuka Machiko, but I prefer Noneko." She inclined her head slightly. Kouden grinned.

"Im Kouden, I dont have a family name, because I'm an orphan, but Neji-ni-san told me to say that my family name was Hyuuga. I suppose he sort of adopted me. May I ask a question?" Kouden said, lowering the hand that had climbed to the back of his head.

"Sure, shoot." Noneko said.

"Un, why do you prefer to be called, 'Stray Cat'?" Noneko laughed, and Aiko joined her.

"Aha, well you see, Chichi-ue is from the famous Inuzuka clan, we raise and work with nin-dogs, but Chichi-ue said that my mother was from Sunagakure. She was the youngest daughter of the Sand's biggest clan, and they, like my clan, worked with animals, nin-cats. As a result, I can talk to both species." Kouden's eyes widened.

"You can talk to dogs and cats?" Noneko nodded. "But you didn't answer my question."

"Ahh. Well, when I was playing in Aiko-chan's yard when we were little, I talked a stray kitten to come and play with us. That was when I first found out that I could chat to them, as well as dogs."

"Speaking of which, Noneko-chan, where is Ao-chan anyway?" Aiko said, looking behind Noneko.

Noneko shrugged.

"She'll get here, she's probably hunting a mouse." Kouden looked around, ignoring the hating stares. They were almost at the Academy. He could see it around the corner. His hands started to shake, he was nervous. Aiko, still latched onto his arm noticed and looked up at Kouden.

"Dont be nervous, Ni-chan, everyone here is really nice! You'll see."

Just as the three walked into the school ground, a tone sounded and the other children who had been climbing trees, and practicing taijutsu on logs started to file into the entrance.

Once the three got into the building, Aiko let go of Kouden's arm and said,

"Noneko-chan and I have to go this way," she indicated to her left with her thumb. "I'll meet you by the gates we came in at lunch, ok?" Kouden nodded, and plodded to the room number he was assigned too.

Looking up at the door, he noted the number. 204. Walking into the classroom, he headed to the back of the room, and got a seat on the farthest row, in the corner.

He glanced around. In the very front row was a girl with long dark brown hair. She wore a thick fur rimmed jacket despite the spring weather. Another girl, also with brown hair joined her after a minute. She turned to look at the new arrival and Kouden got a look at her profile. She had black eyes, and red stripes on her cheeks. Kouden noted that she must be from the Inuzuka clan as well, she looked like she could be Noneko's sister.

The girl who sat beside her was nondescript. Brown hair, brown eyes, but the way the new girl twiddled her pencil in her fingers made Kouden nervous.

Glancing around again, Kouden saw more people stream into the class. He noted that most of the front row was occupied by girls, where the boys in the class clammered to get as far back as possible.

"Excuse me, can I sit here?" Kouden lifted his head from him arm to look at the speaker, and when he caught a glimpse of pale pink hair, he jolted straight.

"Sasami-chan?" His fake green eyes widened as she took a doubletake at Kouden's face.

"Kouden-kun?" She sat down, dropping her small shoulder bag behind her. Her mouth was agape.

"What are you doing here?" They both said at the same time. Sasami blushed and turned her head, while Kouden was graced with just a slight dusting of rose on his cheeks. Kouden then broke the silence.

"I, well uh-" He paused to the see the teacher come in to the class room and place his papers on the small desk at the front. Kouden whispered back to Sasami, "I'll tell you after class." Sasami nodded and folded her hands on their desk.

The teacher, with brown hair spiked in a high ponytail and a scar that ran aross the bridge of his nose, raised his hand, and the classroom became quiet immediatly, save for the door sliding open again to reveal a late student who promptly apologized and took a seat.

"Now then." the scarred man said, "Welcome back to term 2. We have some new students joining us, so when I call your name on the rolecall, please raise your hand so that the newer students can identify you." the teacher picked up a small scroll and opened it.

"Azuyama Ame," A girl in front row raised her hand, and the teacher ticked her name off. "Byuuno Ranji, Byuuno Renji, Danbatte Suguru..." Kouden watched his teacher go through the list and noted the hands that had raised.

"Hyuuga Kouden?" He said, his voice raising slightly to indicate that it was a question. Kouden raised his hand. As the Teacher's gaze ran over him, he visably flinched. Kouden sighed and gave a slight wince. The Teacher slowly nodded, ticked his name off and went back to roll calling. Sasami leaned over and whispered,

"What was that about? I saw that flinch from here." Kouden shrugged and whispered back,

"Some of the older shinobi here have told me that I look like someone that they were friends with as a genin, or something. I'm getting used to the looks I get." Really, he still didn't know what to make of the glares and killer intent he felt on the way to the Academy that morning.

Sasami just nodded, but she looked like she was brimming with unasked questions. Her folded hands gave one very subtle twitch before her full attention was back on their Teacher.

"Now students, I have no intention of taking it easy on you just because we have new students. Right here," The teacher placed his hand on a rather large stack of paper. "is your first assignment of term 2. It's due next monday." The class groaned.

"Iruka-sensei, be fair! It's first day back and you're giving us homework already?" some kid yelled from the middle row. Iruka's eyebrow twitched.

"Hmm. The project is to be a biography on one of your parent's clan history. Include bloodlines if any, passed down jutsus, and if you come from a civilian family, include family acomplishments in citizenship, and any other tidbits you can scrape up. The full requirements are on the sheet that is being passed around.

A few people groaned, and Kouden saw a few sag to their desks.

"If you have any questions, I'll be here a few minutes after class, feel free to approach me then. So then, does anyone remember who the Sandaime of Suna was? Can anyone remember how he died...?"

The rest of the class passed by rather quickly, but at one point Sasami nudged Kouden when his attention started to waver and he started to fidget.

The bell rang and the scraping of chairs across the floor was heard as all the student stood up and bowed in unison while saying good bye to Iruka.

After a few minutes, when all of the students save three had cleared out, Kouden approached Iruka, but a black haired boy with bright blue eyes and a slightly taller stature got to him first. Kouden made a small face, and the boy just stared at Kouden's eyes for a second.

"Iruka-sensei, does the academy library have information on clans in Kirigakure?" the boy said, his tone was level and cool.

"Ah, Shiro-kun. Im sure it does. If it doesnt, go check out the library at the Hokage tower. If you are still having trouble, ask Tsunade-sama for help. She would love to do anything that didn't involve paperwork." Iruka rolled his eyes and Shiro bowed and murmured a thanks. He spared Kouden one last glance before he disapeared through the door.

"Ah yes, you. Being new, you must have alot of questions." Iruka said, bringing Kouden's attention to him.

"Uhn, just one, actually...I dont have parents, and I dont know who they were." Sasami looked at Kouden with a look of alarm on her face.

"Do you live at the orphanage or on your own?" Iruka asked.

"I was sort of unofficially adopted by Hyuuga Neji." Kouden said, drawing his words out slowly.

"Ho ho. That explains your last name." Iruka said, his grin making his scar crinkle. Kouden shifted his feet, and Iruka raised a finger.

"Well, ask Neji-kun about his history, or better yet, get him to take you to the Hyuuga mansion and check out their library. You landed yourself a very old and intresting family. I look forward to your report." Iruka looked down on his page for a second, and sighed.

"I haven't had a Hyuuga in my class since Hinata-chan. Poor girl, such a tragic ending for the Hyuuga princess." Iruka shook his head and failed to notice the sharp jerk of Kouden's head, and the smaller jolt of Sasami's.

"So, you there, Ditama Sasami, right? What was your question?" Sasami just raised her hands and said,

"Ah, no. I'm just waiting for Kouden-kun." Iruka nodded and gave the two children another grin as they left.

"Looks like we have another Naruto, but this one seems to have a head on his shoulders. Kami-sama help us all." and with that, he straighted his papers, tucked them under his arm, and left his classroom with a grin stretched from ear to ear.

* * *

End Chapter 5 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6  
**

* * *

Hinata groaned. She hated walking. They'de been walking for the better part of three hours. Yamato looked like he was twitching, no doubt he must hate walking too. Kasumi had a smile on that was barely being held. She finally reached out and tugged on Yamato's arm.

"Yamato-kun, can't you just carry me, I can see that both you and Hinata-san want to tree jump, right?" Yamato sighed and grinned. her moved his bags around, and hoisted Kasumi onto his back as if she weighed nothing. Jumping into a tree, Hinata followed. She couldnt help but smile at the feeling of the wind in her face.

"If you can go a little faster, Yamato-san, we can get to the refuge village in just under an hour." Hinata pumped chakra to her legs and jumped farther and faster to prove a point. Yamato smiled and did the same.

After a while, around 40 minutes, as Hinata guesstimated, Hinata caught a glimpse of the village. She jumped down out of the trees ans signaled Yamato to do the same.

"Ok, so at this village, you must call me Minako." Hinata said, once they stopped.

"Why?" Kasumi asked. Hinata looked to her left, biting her lip.

"There are ANBU everywhere, and I dont wanna be seen." She raised her hands to her chest and performed a few quick hand seals. A small poofing sound was heard and Kasumi gasped.

In place of Hinata was a girl, the same height, and the same hair length, but it was brown instead of dark blue. Her eyes were brown, and her outfit was a simple villager's kimono. The new Hinata just took a step forward and continued down the road. Yamato and Kasumi soon jogged to catch up.

"We will be there in about 10 minutes. We can stop to rest, but not for the night. I have to leave you two for a few minutes when we get there. So when we separate, meet me at the east exit exactly 2 hours afterward."

Kasumi raised her hands. To her, Hinata seemed to have undergone a personality change. Gone was the quiet and kind voice, and instead it was replace by a harsher tone. Kasumi assumed it was the village and left it at that. Some secrets she didn't need to know.

The three soon reached the village and after the first few houses on the main street were passed, Hinata turned around and regarded her escortees with brown eyes.

"Ok, so meet me at the east exit in two hours." And then just walked away. Kasumi shrugged and pulled Yamato to the nearest dango shop. Hinata walked around and noted a few ANBU walking around, leisurly, but she didn't see anyone she knew, and she didn't dare use her byakugan to look under the masks. The henge she was wearing was just a simple basic one. She stopped at a small cafe and ordered a cup of mint tea. Sitting in on the patio area she lifted the cup and inhaled. Mint always calmed her. Sighing, she sipped and placed her teacup back on the table.

"Ino! Ino over here!" Hinata jerked her head up and saw a woman with a short skirt and tall boots waving her hand. Hinata then saw her bright pink hair and immediatly deduced it to be Sakura. Kami-sama she missed them. The other woman who joined her had long platinum blond hair, and was wearing a rather tight dress, complimented with strategically placed netting. Ino, as Sakura had said was also dragging along a little boy, who looked alot like her, but with short black hair. Hinata assumed that that boy was Ino's son, as Neji had said.

"Ah! Sakura, how are you? Me and Nazo are here for a session with Ibiki." Hinata wince inwardly, Ibiki still scared her. Sakura nodded and hugged Ino.

"Wanna get some tea? I have an awesome story to tell you." Ino nodded and her eye's flashed.

"Anything to do with your vacation with Sasuke?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Watch it missy, or I'll tell our dear Sai that you've been checking out other men. Other _taken_ men." Ino laughed and sat down in the patio a few tables away from Hinata.

"So what's this story?" Ino said as Sakura brought the two cups of tea to the table. Sitting down she said,

"Well, the three of us are on our way back to Konoha, but we passed through here a week ago. Sasuke needed to see Ibiki, and I tagged along hoping to see you." Ino sighed.

"I was helping Sai, he wanted my opinion on what colours to paint the new crib we bought." She patted her slightly bulging stomach. "I heard that Choji's wife is expecting too. That means we'll have another generation of Ino-Shika-Cho on our hands." Sakura folded her hands.

"I thought that Shikamaru said he was gonna go join Sand to be with Temari?" Ino nodded, sipping her tea.

"Me too, but maybe when he hears of Choji he'll convince Temari to join Konoha...whatever they'll figure it out. So what was this important news."

"Oh yea! Well, last week, I ran into the most peculiar sight. Shikamaru and Neji, and a boy they had in tow." Hinata perked up.

"Yea, ok, a little odd for Shikamaru, but everyone knows Neji loves kids." Sakura nodded and continued.

"Yea, but you see, this kid, Kami-sama was a carbon copy of Naruto! But he had eyes as green as mine. I swear, it was like being kids again." Ino had leaned forward, Hinata as well.

"You dont suppose...you dont suppose that rumour of Naruto still being alive are true? I mean, no one ever found his body." Sakura looked down sadly.

"Ino, you know what Kiba said, there was too much blood on the ground for anyone to have possibly lived." Ino sat back and sighed. Hinata decided to speak.

"Ano, did you say Naruto? Im sorry, I couldn't help but overhear. I uh, I'm a librarian for a small village on the edge of fire country, and the legend of Naruto was always my favorite. But it seemed that he just vanished about ten years ago..." Hinata said, Ino looked at her with no emotion on her face. Sakura on the other hand looked at her with a slightly surprised look.

Ino coughed and said,

"Well, he actually died...9 years ago now." Hinata slumped slightly.

"Oh...pity really. Do you know how he died?" Sakura spoke up next.

"Yes. We do. When we first heard about it, Hyuuga Hiashi said that his girlfriend, the Hyuuga heir went mad and killed him. She was then run out of the village, and chased for a full day before her cousin, Hyuuga Neji killed her. Neji-san came back, covered in blood, and said that he destroyed the body where it was, and gave her a proper burial. It was a very sad day. You see, I was on Naruto's genin team, and us both here were friends with Hinata.

We wore black for a week. When Tsunade-sama, our Hokage, had heard that Naruto had been murdered, she order his body to be exhumed and given a proper burial, and we wanted to give him the best funeral ever." Ino and Hinata nodded. Sakura took another breath, and a few tears leaked out of her eyes. Ino's eyes were shining, and Hinata had a lump in her throat she couldn't swallow. Ino spoke next.

"Yes, and you can imagine our horror when Hiashi told Tsunade, out in public even, I was there, that he had had Naruto's body dumped in the woods. I think Tsunade almost fainted. You see, she regarded him as her little brother almost. I heard somewhere that he was going to be her sucessor. It was a sad time, and by the time she got the Inuzuka family out scouting for his body, the leader, Kiba-kun, said that all he found was a patch of blood spread out in the way that it suggests he was eaten by animals.

Later that day Neji came back and told everyone that Hinata had been killed. She had tried to fight him, and while he still tried to take her alive, he had to resort to her death. But being her cousin, he decided that he was going to do the honourable thing and give her a burial." Ino looked at Sakura, and then back at Hinata.

"He wont tell us where though. I really wish he would." Sakura said. Hinata sat back and used her sleeve to wipe away a few tears that had fallen.

"Oh my, that's a tragic way to end a story..." Hinata said, choking back her tears.

Was that the story her father was giving out? She resisted the urge to throw up, and bit her lip instead. She gasped slightly when she tasted copper. Bringing a hand to her lip she touched and and looked at her finger. Sigh. Blood.

"Oh, here, let me fix that." Sakura's finger lit up in green fire and she touched Hinata's lip. The cut dissolved in an instant. Hinata bowed her head and murmured a thanks.

"So. What did you say your name was?" Ino said. Hinata looked at her and said,

"Tsukino Minako. Pleased to meet you both." Ino bowed back and said,

"Pleased to meet you as well, I'm Yamanako Ino, and this is my childhood friend Uchiha Sakura."

"Uchiha? The massacred clan?" Hinata faked ignorance. It felt nice to be talking to her old friends again, even if she wasn't supposed to be their friend.

"Yea, I married the only survivor. My orginal name is Haruno. But Sasuke isn't the only survivor anymore. We have a son, and he is the new heir to the Uchiha name." Sakura said, and then sighed.

"I have Naruto to thank for the chance to revive the clan. He was the one who rescued him from Orochimaru in the first place." Hinata nodded. She knew that story. She was there.

"Mama? Are you done talking about Naruto-sama? Can we get dango now?" The small black haired boy said, tugging on Ino's arm. Hinata had forgotten about him, he was so quiet. Ino laughed. She patted her son on the head and said,

"Oh, right, this is my son Nazo. He's both my husband's apprentice in the arts, and I'm prepping him for a future with Ibiki and I in the workings of the mind. He takes to it very well." Nazo grinned and said,

"I like knowing what people are thinking. Once I took over the mind of a cat with the family jutsu too!" Hinata smiled. Neji was right, he _was_ insane. Nazo looked down and blushed.

"Of course, Machiko-chan chased me around the yard when she found out I used her cat..." Hinata and Ino laughed. Sakura looked down the street a little and stood up.

"Well, Ino, Minako-san, Nazo-chan, I see my Sasuke coming up the road. It was nice to see you all. Mina-san sayonara." and with that Sakura bowed and left to be joined by a tall and dark looking man holding a small todler with bright pink hair. Hinata nearly laughed out loud. Sasuke looked at her and Ino. His eyes flashed red for a second, and then widened.

Hinata nearly cursed. Avoiding his eyes, she said good bye to Ino and left as quickly as she could. Once she reached a ramen stand, she sat down and ordered miso.

_Chikuso! I forgot, Sharingan can see through genjutsu. He probably saw the real me for a second. Hopefully he wont recognize me. We werent much of friends._ Hinata wiped the sweat off of her forehead.

Nearby a blonde was staring at her best friend's husband.

"What did you do? I almost got through her defence!" Ino said, huffing. Nazo looked at his 'uncle' Sasuke expectantly.

"I flashed my sharingan. Something about her didn't sit right." Sasuke said. Sakura said,

"Did you see anything unusual?" Sasuke let out a dry chuckle.

"She was using henge. Not a very complex henge, but a henge nonethless." Ino stood up, and dragged Nazo out to her friends. In a whisper she said,

"That girl, who ever she was, totally lied about who she was. I could read it on her face. But if she was a spy, she wasn't a very informed one. The surprise on her face when we told her about _his_ death was genuine."

"Sasuke-kun, did you get a glimpse of what she really looked like?" Sasuke nodded.

"Not a very good one, but she had dark hair, black, maybe a dark gray, blue, something like that. Her eyes though. I only got a flash of them." He stopped, and Ino nudged Sasuke to continue.

"Well? What colour were they? Don't keep us waiting." Ino said.

"Silver. Maybe a light blue or purple, but very pale." He said. Ino's eye's widened as did Sakura's.

"You dont...you dont think..." Ino said. She had no need to finish.

"Also, last week, do you remember that kid that Neji was with?" Sakura nodded.

"He had something on his eyes. I dont know what, it was a complex jutsu what ever it was, but his chakra was slightly more concentrated there. It might have been a bloodline though. If it was a bloodline, I'd like to study it." Sasuke said, a look of thoughtfullness on his face. Sakura and Ino just looked at each other.

"We'll have to have a talk with Neji-san." Sakura said after a moment. Ino nodded and looked in the direction 'Minako' left.

* * *

"Yamato! Hurry up, we are already late!" Kasumi said, trying to tug Yamato out of a small trinket shop. Yamato sighed and said,

"Just a second, ah, never mind. Ok, let's go." Kasumi rolled her eyes and tugged Yamato towards the east exit. Standing by the statue that was there, Kasumi looked around. She didn't see Hinata anywhere.

Yamato then nudged Kasumi arm and motioned for her to look to the left. A girl with bound up black hair and bright green eyes, wearing a red, dusty, and thin jacket was walking towards them. Kasumi whispered,

"She redid her henge? Quick, don't stare, pretend to not see her." The red jacketed girl came up to them and said,

"Let's go. I nearly got caught." Kasumi nodded and followed Hinata out of the village. After the village was out of sight, Hinata turned to the couple and said,

"Ok. So can I ask how you knew it was me?" Kasumi gaped and pointed at Yamato. Hinata looked at Yamato. He raised his hand and said,

"Retired genin here, genjutsu was my specialty." Hinata rolled her eyes and raised her hand to her chest. Holding two fingers up she quietly said,

"Byakugan!" Kasumi leaned around to see Hinata's face, and was startled to see the veins around her eyes.

"Neat! Kekkei genkai?" she said, Hinata gave a curt nod and continued to scout around.

"There's a few shinobi 7km that way," she raised her arm indicating direction, "No ANBU around ether. Good." She released her byakugan and and lept into a tree. Yamato swept Kasumi onto his back and followed Hinata.

"How long by treetops will it take to get to Konoha?" Kasumi yelled out to Hinata.

"Uhn, I'm not sure, but I can think that we can make it by the evening, after dark at the latest." Kasumi nodded and rested her head against Yamato's back.

The trio stopped once more when the sun started to set. They ate and picked up the pace. There was only an hour or two of sunlight left. After another 2 hours of tree jumping, the light had long disapeared and Hinata raised her hand and dropped to the ground. Yamato followed and put down Kasumi, loading her with a few bags.

Hinata's cheeks were red and she was breathing hard, but not as hard as Yamato. He was puffing, and gratefully accepted the water Kasumi gave him.

"Ok, let's take a breather here and walk the rest of the way. Konoha is about 20 minutes away, if memory serves me right." Hinata sat down and activate her eyes. Not seeing anyone anywhere close by, she turned it off and heaved a sigh. She hadn't run this much since before Kouden was born.

After a few minutes, the red in Yamato's face had gone down to a slight dusting of said colour, and Hinata's face looked completely normal. Hinata stood up and picked up her bags. Kasumi scrambled up and dusted her odd skirt off. She then hauled Yamato up and took a few bags.

Hinata looked at herself and raised a hand to her chest. With a pop, she released the henge.

"What are you doing?" Kasumi said, Hinata went through a few hand seals before she answered.

"Weaving a better henge. One that can't be seen through." Another pop and a bit of smoke later, and Hinata had raven black hair still up in a ponytail and bright green eyes. Her attire was a red jacket that resembled an unbound yukata, the pants she wore were her originals. Hinata turned back to Kasumi and Yamato.

"You ready? Let's go." Kasumi nodded and followed after her.

It didn't take as long as Yamato would have thought. After 5 or 6 minutes of walking, the main road started to look more and more used. Another ten minutes and they had reached the gates.

"Wow! Konoha is huge!" Kasumi whispered. Hinata nodded. They weren't alone. A few other people, travelers and a few shinobi, were streaming into the gate. The three blended into the crowd and successfully entered Konohagakure.

"So I suppose we should find a hotel for the night, and you two can start your buisness tomorrow, or set up and what not. I'll be leaving you guys in the morning." Kasumi blinked.

"You're leaving us?" Hinata nodded. Kasumi slumped a bit, but picked her bags up and let Hinata lead them to a hotel.

* * *

End Chapter 6 


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7  
**

* * *

Kouden felt himself blushing as Sasami continued to stare at him.

"Can I help you?" He said. Sasami opened her mouth, but paused before speaking.

"Why?" Kouden blinked.

"Why what?"

"Why, why everything? Why can't we mention your Kaa-san? Why are your eyes green? Why is your family name Hyuuga now?" Sasami said, her brown eyes wide and wanting answers.

"Uh, well, why are _you_ here? How did you get into my grade?" Sasami blinked this time. She then gave Kouden a sly smile and said,

"I see. We will have to meet somewhere and disscuss this. Meet me at Ichiraku's at 3?"

"Ichiraku? Where is that?" Kouden asked. Sasami pointed to her right.

"Right there, see? It's the ramen bar with the paper lanterns." Kouden looked, and saw. He nodded and said,

"Ahh, I have to turn here. I'll see you at 3 then. Bye, Sasami-chan." Sasami waved and Kouden continued down towards his cousin's house.

Opening the front door, he took his sandals off and stowed them in the closet. He walked into the living room part of the first floor and saw Aiko seated at the table watched the small TV set in the corner.

"Okaeri, Nii-chan!" Aiko said, "Ka-chan left a list of chores on the fridge. I already did mine." Kouden nodded and Aiko returned to her TV.

Kouden made his way to the fridge and pulled of the small note. He read:

_Kouden:_

_Please put all your dirty clothes in hamper_

_If you have homework, do twenty minutes of it._

_Dry the dishes that Aiko should have washed. If she hasn't washed them, boot her to do it._

_That's all for today, use your spare time to practice your taijutsu, or if you want, I have_

_some spare old kunai and shruikan in a red bag by the front door. You can take it to the nearest training area...I think its area 34. _

_Have a nice day, Neji might be home before me._

_Love Ka-chan  
_

Kouden smiled and tucked the note in his pocket. He tromped up the stairs to the first room on the left. Opening his door, he nudged his pallet aside and dropped his bag in the corner. He picked a few shirts off the floor and ran them to the hamper in the spare room. He pulled his assignment out of his bag and stared at it.

He decided he would wait untill Neji came home before he started. Tucking the paper under his arm, he stuck it on the table that Aiko was sitting at, and looked to see the small pile of dishes. Grabbing a cloth from the drawer Tenten showed him, he dried them, and put them away. Looking at the clock, he saw that it was 2:48.

"Ahh, Aiko-chan, I'm gonna go train at area 34, if Neji-nii-san or Ka-chan asks, that's where I am." Aiko mindlessly nodded and Kouden moved to the front door. He opened the closet to grab his shoes, and found the red bag as well.

He tugged his sandals on and slung the bag around his shoulder. Sliding the door open, he casually walked to Ichiraku, trying to keep his eyes off the other villagers who were still radiating hate and killer intent.

Coming upon Ichiraku, Kouden slipped inside and sat on a stool. He looked at the store owner, who was making a batch of ramen, and sighed.

"Wah! Kami-sama! I thought the dead had risen!" The owner said, particularily loud. Kouden jumped and looked at the owner with a surprised look.

"Uhh..." was all that Kouden could manage. The owner laughed and said,

"Sorry there, little one. It's just that you look alot like my best customer. He would come here at least once a day, unless he was on a mission. Kept my shop open that one did. Now of course, his friends are the ones keeping me open." Kouden blinked.

"Naruto-sama right?" The owner smiled and nodded. He then reached his old hand down to Kouden. Kouden grasped it and the old man shook it hard.

"You can call me Ichiraku. Or Ichiraku-jii-chan if you must." Ichiraku said, his smile so big that his eyes closed.

"H-hai. I'm Kouden." Ichiraku's smile turned a little sympathetic, and he said,

"A funeral gift? Did someone die when you were born? Not that it matters, Kouden is a fine name." Kouden opened his mouth, but he didn't quite know how to answer. _Is that what my name means?_

"Uhn...I think, I think I may be named that because Otou-sama died before I was born." Kouden said, sadly. Ichiraku nodded and finished drying a bowl.

"So, Kouden-san, do you want some ramen? No better in Konoha." Kouden almost nodded, but then said,

"Ahh! How I wish I could! I love ramen, but I'm meeting a friend to train with."

"Shinobi, eh? Are you a genin or a chuunin." Kouden wrinkled his nose.

"I'm still in the academy, Ichiraku-jii-sama." Ichiraku opened his mouth, but a flying pale pink object flew threw the curtains at Kouden, and latched itself around his waist.

"Ah!? Sasami-chan?" The pink hair girl laughed and hugged him harder. Painfully harder.

"Uhn, good bye Ichiraku-jii-sama!" Kouden said, and dragged Sasami out into the street. She stood up and dusted herself off before saying in a calm and cool manner,

"Shall we go?" Kouden gaped and nodded. Girls are weird.

Kouden lead Sasami on a ten minute journey to find area 34, and two genin and one chuunin later, they found it. It was a small feild with three logs that looked like they had seen better days in the middle.

After a minute of looking around, Sasami sat down and broke the silence. Motioning Kouden to sit beside her.

"So, will you tell me why now?" She said, fiddling with a peice of grass.

"Well, I guess, long story short, and in order, Ka-san was a missing nin for a day, but was hunted down."

"Missing nin? Hunted down? Isn't she still alive?" Kouden nodded.

"I dont know the whole story, but aparently the person who hunted her down must have let her live, and marked her as dead. But no one will tell me why she was a missing nin." Sasami looked at Kouden and nudged him.

"What? O yea, my eyes. Uhn, Ka-san said that my eyes are very unusal, and that the only people who have them are a bunch of people im related to, but she said that If I show them off, they will start to hunt her again. I don't want that. And Hyuuga is Neji-ni-san's family name." Sasami nodded and looked up at the sky. Kouden looked up too and played with a cloud using only his eyes.

"What about you? Cough up pinky-chan." Sasami faked offence and said,

"Pinky-chan? Why I never." Kouden nudge her, and she rubbed her arm, shooting him a look.

"My Oka-san and my Aniki and Aneue were all shinobi. All of them from the cloud, where I was born. After my Oka-san died in battle, and my Aneue disapeared, Tou-chan moved me and Aniki to the village we met. Oka-san had taught me how to fight since I could walk. Aniki continued after she died, but he disapeared a year after we moved to the village. He told me that he was going to join Konohagakure, make a fortune and come back for me. I dont know if he forgot, or died." Sasami looked down, and Kouden put his arm around her and pulled her closer.

After a minute or two, Sasami looked up at Kouden, and said,

"Wanna spar? I've been wanting to fight for a while, after Aniki left, it was all logs and trees for me." Kouden grinned and stood up.

"What are your rules, Sasami-chan." Sasami stood up and put her finger to her lips.

"Uh...shall we make it strictly taijutsu? No chakra?" Kouden nodded and took the jyuuken stance.

"My style is the best style. I'll have to go easy on you." Sasami laughed and said,

"You better go easy on me. I'm rusty. But you bruise me in any visable areas...well, I wouldnt sleep to soundly if I were you." Kouden gulped and readied his stance, as he saw Sasami fall into a slightly different stance than basic taijutsu. Her hand was faced at a different angle, and her legs were slightly farther apart.

"You need to work on your stance, Pinky-chan." Sasami gritted her teeth and rushed forward.

Thrusting her arm out towards Kouden's collarbone Kouden smacked it away. A kick at his knee, a kick at his ankle, a fist at his elbow... Kouden deflected them all.

Sasami stole a glimpse at his face, and saw that he had his tongue stuck out at her. _He isn't even trying!_Sasami thought. Anger started to rise, and her hits became faster and harder.

His shoulder! Sasami saw an opening and went for it. Kouden saw where her hand was going, but couldnt stop it in time. Sasami connected with his shoulder, and a small 'click' was heard. Kouden froze, as did Sasami.Kouden made a face and rolled his shoulders. Sasami stepped back into her unusual stance, and Kouden did the same.

Except, when he tried to lift his arm where Sasami struck, he found that he couldnt. Looking up at Sasami, she was holding two of her fingers out.

"Ha! Did you think that my messy stance was because im unused to fighting? Naw, this _is_ my stance. Oka-san taught me the art of pressure points." Kouden gaped and frantically tried to get his arm moving again. After a few minutes of frantically waving his arm back and forth, the feeling came back, and Kouden slipped into an uneasy Jyuuken stance. Sasami slipped into hers.

Sasami rushed again, but Kouden thrusted an open palm out at her chest, towards her heart. He swung his left leg around and pulled his right palm back. Sasami had one fist out to hit, and one down at her side.

Kouden swung his hand. It sailed right past Sasami's first fist, but was caught by her second one. A pause in the fighting happened, but after half a second, Sasami placed her hand atop of Kouden's fist and swung up.Fake green eyes widened as he watched his pink-haired friend flung her self over his head and pointing her extended leg, he saw that she meant to get him in the small of his back.

Thinking fast, Kouden moved his fist, and his left leg again. Sasami shook a little bit, and gave a small cry as her foot, instead of connecting with his back, connected with the edge of his back. The force of her body swing back made her ankle bend at an odd angle, and she slid right past him, making sure to elbow him in the ribs. Sasami landed ungracefully on her rear and slid a few feet in the grass.

She turned back to look at Kouden and saw him in pain. She must have elbowed him in the same place she kicked him. Standing up, Sasami looked at Kouden, and then promptly fell down.

"Ah, kuso, what happened, Sasami-chan?" Kouden said, still holding his side he made his way over to Sasami. She was holding her ankle with one hand, and wiping away a few tears with the other.

"I think I broke my ankle." She said. Kouden sat back and rubbed the back of his head with his hands.

He helped Sasami stand up on one foot, and squatted down in front of her.

"Here, I'll carry you back to my house. I think we have some ice." Sasami nodded and climbed onto his back. Kouden bent down and picked up the red bag full of Tenten's kunai and shruikan, handing it to Sasami, he started off towards his house.

* * *

"...Intresting." A voice from the shadow of a nearby tree said, as it watched the young blonde carry the pink haired girl away. "Very intresting."

And with a whirl of black, and a quiet whoosh, it dissapeared

* * *

Sliding open the door to his house, Kouden put Sasami down and helped her slide her shoes off. After taking his own off, he shoved them both, and the kunai bag, back into the closet. Looking at the clock he saw that he hadn't even been out an hour. Aiko was still drooling in front of the TV.

"Aiko-chan. Aiko-chan!" Aiko slowly turned her head to look at Kouden.

"Hai?" she said, her eyes flickering back to the TV. Kouden sighed.

"Do we have any ice?" Aiko paused and said,

"I uh, I think we might...compress in the freezer...yea..." Aiko slowly became glued back to the TV. Kouden looked at Sasami. She had a look on her face that suggested slight disgust. Kouden shrugged and opened the top part of the fridge. Rifling around he didnt find any ice, or cold compresses. Sighing he turned to Sasami.

"Do you know where the hospital is? I can't quite remember." Sasami sighed and nodded.

She climbed back on Kouden's back, and gripped his orange and black jacket. Kouden waved at Aiko, but she wasnt paying attention.

Half an hour later found Kouden and Sasami still wandering around Konoha.

"This place is really big!" Kouden said, a tinge of awe in his voice. Sasami shifted and said,

"I think it might be just around that corner." Indicating said corner with her finger.

"...Sasami-chan, we just came from that corner." Sasami sighed.

"Ask someone. We aren't getting anywhere." Kouden sighed louder.

Rounding a random corner, Kouden looked up and saw a big white sign.

'Konohagakure Hospital'

Both Kouden and Sasami's right eye twitched. Walking inside, he turned back to talk to Sasami.

"You alright still?" Sasami just said,

"Kouden-kun, Kouden-kun! Watch where you're go--" She was cut off as Kouden smacked into another person. He fell backwards, and landed on Sasami, who in turned landed on her ankle. Sasami let out a loud cry and a few people looked at them.

"Kouden-chan? Why are you here?" the person he bumped into said. Kouden looked up and saw Tsunade standing with her hands on her hips. Slightly behind her was someone with short black hair that Kouden didn't recognize.

Tsunade looked at Sasami.

"You are Ditama's daughter, right?" Sasami nodded. "So what brings you to the hospital?" Kouden felt like sweatdropping.

"Sasami-chan broke her ankle, Hokage-sama." He stood up and helped Sasami up onto one foot. Tsunade leaned down to look at her ankle. Poking it, Sasami winced, and Tsunade stood up again.

"Go stick her on a chair, Kouden-chan. I'll be there in a second." Kouden nodded and carried Sasami bridal style to a blue plastic chair in the waiting room.

There were a few others in the room nursing broken bones. In one case a nasty looking cut. Kouden sat down beside Sasami and tried not to stare at anyone.

"Now then, let's see that ankle." Tsunade said, kneeling down in front of Sasami. Holding her leg up gently, she moved it from side to side. Sasami sucked her breath in through her teeth.

"Yea, that's busted alright." Tsunade said. She lifted her hand to Sasami's foot and her hand lit up in the familiar green fire of medic ninjutsu.

After the healing was said and done, Sasami twisted her foot around with a look of awe on her face.

"Amazing! Can you teach me?" Sasami said, enthusiam laced her voice. Tsunade laughed a loud hearty laugh.

"Maybe when your older kid. Maybe. Medic ninjutsus require precise chakra control. Way beyond normal. Come see me when you're a genin." She patted the pink girl's head and looked around. Sighing she started to heal the waiting room patients one by one, with her assistant at tow, prattling on about unfinished paperwork.

"Did you hear that Kouden? I wanna be a medic nin like Tsunade-sama when I get older!" Sasami was practically bouncing. Kouden laughed and tugged Sasami out of her chair. Walking out with their arms linked, Kouden said,

"Ne, Pinky-chan, wanna come over for dinner? I think Ka-chan would be glad to meet you." Sasami wrinkled her nose.

"Ka-chan, what about Hinata-sama?" She asked. Kouden grimaced.

"Shh, don't say her name. And Tenten-ne-san demanded that I call her that. It doesnt matter." Sasami noted that Kouden refused to meet her eyes.

Kouden and Sasami sat at the table quietly disscussing their school assignment, when the front door slid open. Neji slid his black bag off his shoulders and took his sandals off. Sighing he walked up the stairs, his free hand rubbing the bridge of his nose. Kouden and Sasami continued to watch him walk up the stairs. Then looking at each other, they decided to just see how long it took for him to notice them.

Aiko was in her room, Kouden presumed. She wasn't glued to the TV anymore, at any rate.

The soft shivving noise of the old fashioned doors sliding was heard from the stairs, and Neji plodded down the stairs, donning a dark aquamarine and yellow robe.

"Okaerinasai, Neji-ni-san." Kouden said in a cheerful voice. Neji glanced at him, his white eyes lingering on Sasami for a second before raising an eyebrow and kneeling down beside Kouden.

"Ah, this is Ditama Sasami, a friend from the academy. Can she stay for dinner?" Sasami murmured a hello and bowed, her pink hair brushing the table. Neji raised his eyebrow again.

"A friend on the first day of school?" He smirked and nudged Kouden tiredly. Kouden rolled his eyes.

"You'll have to wait until Tenten gets back. She's the cook." Kouden gave a small grunt in response.

He opened his mouth, but shut it again as Neji picked up the remote for the small TV. Flicking it on, he stopped on a random show and put the remote back down.

"Finish please." Neji said. Kouden blinked and said,

"Uhn...how to explain this. Well...you see, Sasami-chan and I kinda...kinda grew up together." Kouden moved his head back, and Neji swung his around. Sasami's brown eyes widened and she nudged Kouden.

"What?" Neji said, his white eyes alternating between the two almost-nine year olds.

"Ano...Yes. I met her when we were five years old, when Ka-san bought fish from her Otou-san." Sasami bowed to the table again, and said,

"Forgive Kouden please. He told me to not mention Hinata-sama to anyone. Although it seems he can't follow his own rules." Neji blinked at Sasami's tone, and did the thing both children least expected.

He laughed. Loud and hard.

This startled both Kouden and Sasami to the point that Sasami nearly cried.

"Why should you be sorry? So you say your last name is Ditama? I've heard that before. In the Cloud Country. Do you have any relatives?" Neji said, patting Kouden and Sasami on the shoulder. Kouden let out a nervous laugh that sound more like a high pitched breath of releif. Sasami's shoulder's dropped and she smiled.

"I was born there, Tou-chan moved me and Aniki, who is a shinobi here in Konoha, after my Oka-san's death, and Aneue's dissapearance, to the village that Kouden-kun lived in." Neji made a thoughful face, bringing his hand to his chin before he said,

"Your Aniki? What was his name? I might be able to track him down for you. I'm guessing that's why you wanted to be a shinobi here, right?" Sasami nodded and said with sparkling eyes,

"You can track him down? Honto?" Neji grinned and nodded.

Kouden's hand brushed the paper on the table and he changed his thought line so fast, he scared himself.

Holding out the papers to Neji, he said,

"Neji-ni-san, I need help with my homework. Iruka-sensei gave us homework already." Neji took hold of the papers and scimmed the first page. He looked at Kouden and ruffled his blonde hair.

"Gaki, you are too nosy for your own good. I suppose Iruka-sensei told you to ask me to take you to the Hyuuga library?" Kouden nodded and Neji smiled.

"I bet your Aunt Hanabi would love to meet you." Kouden was grinning so hard it hurt, Neji started to laugh again, and Sasami felt awkward, not knowing what to do.

And that's how Tenten, who graceiously took the request of Sasami's company to make the best food Kouden had had of hers yet, found her husband and step-son, as she walked into the door of her small out-of-the-way house.

* * *

end chapter 7 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8  
**

* * *

A week had passed since Kasumi said that Hinata had abandoned them. All Hinata had done was buy a small apartment room in a quieter part of town. She used almost all of the ryo she had brought. 

It was very small, one room, and a closet that turned out to be a bathroom. Hinata guesstimated it to be something like ten or eleven feet wide, and a little longer than that long. The window at the front though, covered nearly the entire front of the room had a spectacular veiw. It also had a small sliding door that led to a balcony.

It was the 7th day after she had bought the apartment when she sat on this balcony, watching a few random shinobi jump in and out of her vision that she realized that she needed a job. Her food was running out, and she didn't want to work with Kasumi. Something about the girl unsettled her.

So that's how Hinata found herself wandering Konoha, only to end up in front of the large Hyuuga manor. Jumping up to a branch in a nearby tree, she sat down and started to think.

She had been thinking for awhile, when someone wearing a white and blue Kimono left the manor entrance. Hinata, broken out of her thoughts, missed the girl's face, but caught the long straight hair in the same colour as her own. Not that it helped identify her, alot of the Hyuuga's had the dark blue hair.

Hinata shimmied from tree to tree, staying far enough away to not be seen, but close enough to not lose her.

The girl seemed to take alot of twists, going back in the general direction of Hinata's small home. Going through a small park, she finally stopped in a clearing that had three weathered logs. Shuffling behind the logs, the girl made her way to the large monument that lay at the edge of the clearing.

_The cenograph..._Hinata thought. She watched as the girl laid down a white lilly and knelt down, her mouth moving in silent prayer. She touched a name and then stood up. Walking back towards the tree Hinata sat in, she continued past it. Hinata looked at the cenograph when a voice nearly made her fall off the branch she was sitting on.

"Can I ask why you followed me here? In the trees no less?" The girl said. Smirking, Hinata dropped out of the tree and faced the girl. Her face was slim, and her eyes were white. But what made Hinata almost gasp was that her forehead sported no mark. This was Hanabi she was talking to. Glancing at the cenograph, Hinata took a second to make up a story.

"...I'm nervous." She said, finally. Hanabi's face softened. And in a voice that sounded older than her 20 years she said,

"Ah...you must be a newcomer. What is it you are nervous of seeing?" Hinata stared at Hanabi, soaking in 9 years of her sister's growth.

"It's not so much of what I'm afraid of seeing, it's what I'm afraid of not seeing." Hanabi nodded. "A..a friend told me that my husband, had died, but they weren't going to put his name on here. He said something about unusual circumstances. I can't quite remember...I was distressed." Hinata said. Hanabi eyed her without moving.

"I'm sorry for your loss. But I'm afraid I can't stay any longer. I have politics to deal with." Hanabi said and turned.

"A..ano, may I ask who you came and prayed for?" Hinata said, raising her hand. Hanabi stopped and turned, eyeing Hinata with a look that suggested she was trying to look into her soul.

"My Aneue. My dear cousin took liberty in carving her name hisself." she turned and started to walk away, but Hinata decided to get one more question out of her.

"Sumimasen for taking up your time, but one more question? You're eyes define you as a Hyuuga, correct?" Hanabi nodded, "Could you tell me where a Hyuuga Neji lives? He knew my husband and might be able to answer my questions." Hanabi paused, but continued at the pleading in Hinata's voice.

"He lives near the entrance, I cant recall the exact address, but the door to his house is bright blue. Good luck with your information." She bowed slightly, as did Hinata, and then left, leaving Hinata to her own devices.

Walking up the cenograph, she scanned the names near the bottom. Sure enough, in a slightly messier scrawling, as the names were usually put on by the Hokage, were the words, 'Hyuuga Hinata'. What made Hinata gape was that below her name, in the same writing, were the words 'Uzumaki Naruto'.

Neji lied to her. Hinata grimaced. Now that she had his address, she wasn't going to let that one go.

Looking at a clock in a nearby store, she saw that it was almost 5 pm. Heading towards the entrance of Konoha, she scanned around for blue doors. Seeing two, one on ether side of the street, Hinata paused, not sure of which one to pick.

She then remember that she posessed a bloodine limit, and quietly activated her byakugan for a split second, looking in both houses. The left house had an old man and woman drinking tea, and the other one had Neji, also drinking tea. Walking over to Neji's house, she knocked and heard the movement of Neji as he opened the door. Hinata took in his image.

He was wearing a white vest, black leggings, and a blue and yellow robe over it. Hinata's eyes teared up, and before she knew was she was doing, she slapped Neji. She then gasped and apologized.

Neji just stared at her. He then said,

"You have five seconds to explain before I report you." Hinata gaped and glared at him. She held two pointed fingers up to her right eye and said,

"Kai." Her eyes then turned white. Neji gaped and grabbed her arm, pulling her inside. Hinata shook his hand off and took her slippers off. Placing them neatly along the other shoes, she followed Neji to the small table. Kneeling down, she folded her hands. Neji poured her some tea and she nodded a thanks. Taking a sip, Neji just stared at her.

"Your son is upstairs in his room. Are you going to keep showing your eyes off?" Hinata choked on her tea. Putting her cup down, she wiped her lips off, and performed a few seals. Her eyes turned green again with a small pop.

Not a second to soon ether, for it was that moment that her son decided to jump down the stairs yelling.

"Neji-ni-san, Okaerinasai! I didn't hear you come in. Guess what I got on my rep--oh...gomen!" He said, cutting off as he spotted a smiling Hinata.

"Hello, ne-chan, my name is Kouden." She smiled wider and turned to Neji.

"Is Tenten-san home as well?" Neji shook his head and said,

"She wont be home for a while yet. Kouden, Is Aiko-chan home?" Kouden shook his head and slowly made his way to kneel at the table.

"She's at Noneko-chan's house." Neji nodded and said,

"So are you gonna keep it up?" Hinata looked at Kouden and paused a moment.

"Yes. I'm not ready yet." She looked down at her cup of tea, when Neji said,

"You were going to tell us something, Kouden-chan?" Kouden sat up straight, and pulled out a few papers that he was holding. Handing them to Neji, Neji beamed and ruffled Kouden's hair.

"You got 98! I'm very proud of you." Kouden grinned and Hinata was reminded of Naruto. Kouden looked at Hinata and said,

"Ne-chan, do you want to see? You look like you are intrested in history." Hinata looked at Kouden, then at Neji, who shrugged and handed her the pages. As she read the title, her eyes widened.

Opening the first page she read,

_Hyuuga Clan History - By Hyuuga Kouden, Class 3_

_The Hyuuga clan is a very old clan, surviving from before the beginings of Konohagakure. They have a special kekkai genkai called the 'Byakugan'. These specials eyes can see in nearly all directions, and through solid objects by focusing chakra to them. In addition to x-ray vision, the byakugan can also see the chakra coils of people, and over the years have developed their own special taijutsu style that is argued to be one of the strongest ever. The style called 'jyuuken' trains the user to hit certain points, or tenketsus, that can control the flow of chakra in an individual. They could use it to boost chakra flow, or stop it completely._

_The actual family is split into two groups. The main family, and the branch family. It is the duty of the branch family to protect the main family. The branch family is marked by a seal on their foreheads called the 'caged bird seal'. If they were to betray the main family in anyway, a special jutsu was used to activate the seal and ultimately kill the betrayer. _

_Usually, if the main family produces more than one son, the eldest is marked the heir, and the younger is marked with the branch family seal. This caused a rift to form once, when Hyuuga Hiashi's twin brother was sealed, and later died of that seal for diplomatic purposes._

_The Cloud Country had been at war with Konoha for a while, and they agreed to sign a contract for peace. So everyone but one clan attended this celebration. The Hyuugas did not show up because it was their current heiress, Hyuuga Hinata's third birthday. Later that night, it turned out that the Cloud-nin did not want peace, as the leader himself kidnapped the young princess and was stopped and killed by Hyuuga Hiashi._

_The rest of the Cloud-nin then tried to start war again by saying that the Hyuugas conspired against them. They said that the cost of peace was the clan leader's body. Not wanting the byakugan in the hands of foreign shinobi, they gave them the body of his younger twin brother, Hyuuga Hizashi. _

_The death of Hizashi caused his young son, Hyuuga Neji who had been recently sealed himself, to loathe the main house. And only until at the age of 13 in his first Chuunin Exam did he have sense beaten into him by a boy a year younger named Uzumaki Naruto._

_Neji then tried and succeeded to make peace with the main house, and vowed to protect them forever after that. But peace was not to last long._

_A few years after that, according to Hyuuga Hiashi, he had been sparring with his teenaged daughter, the princess Hinata herself, when Uzumaki Naruto, showed up and in a crazed fury, Hinata killed him. Whether by accident or not has never been determined, as Hiashi stated in the police report, _

_"She knocked me over, and when I sat up, Uzumaki-san was dead." _

_Hyuuga Hinata, according to her father, ran away in her grief after she realized what she had done. Hiashi paniked, thinking she would blame him, so he had Naruto's body dumped, and sent his own personal ANBU and nephew to retrieve her. Apparently Hinata struggled and was killed in the attempt to return. Her body, nor Naruto's body were ever found._

_Both names can be found on the Shinobi Cenograph though._

_By this time, the Hokage had stripped Hiashi of his titles, as Uzumaki was renowned as a hero. The current Clan Leader of the Hyuuga clan is Hiashi's younger daughter, Hyuuga Hanabi, who supported and helped petition the banning of the Caged Bird seal, was met with success when the Hokage more than welcomed the change._

Hinata blinked and swallowed the bile that had rose in her throat, and then looked at Kouden.

"This is very well written. Very well researched. I see that dear Neji-ni-san here let you into the famed Hyuuga Library?" Kouden nodded.

"Nn, ne-chan, how long have you known Neji-ni-san? You seem to know alot about him." Hinata laughed.

"I've known him for a long time. As long as I can remember." Kouden nodded and slumped a bit.

Both Neji and Hinata sipped their tea and watched the young blonde. When he jumped up, Hinata nearly spilled her tea.

"I have to go, I'm meeting Sasami-chan at area 34. I'll see you later, Neji-ni-san, Ne-chan...I never got your name, actually..." Kouden said, his finger raising thoughtfully to his mouth.

"Uh...My name? It's...Kasumi. Yea. Kasumi." She said, nodding. Kouden nodded and quickly left.

Hinata turned to Neji.

"Sasami-chan?" Neji raised an eyebrow.

"Pink hair and everything. Said she knew you." Hinata's eyes widened and she folded her hands.

"So. Back to that slap...You lied to me." Hinata said, narrowing her eyes at Neji. Neji looked flustered.

"Lied? I beg your pardon?" he said.

"You said that _that man_ wouldn't let Naruto's name be put on the cenograph. I saw it there this morning. As well as mine." Neji grinned at the look on Hinata's face.

"I said he didn't allow it. I never said that I listened." Hinata cracked a smile.

"You've changed, Neji-ni-san. Everyone has, that I've met. It's like I don't even belong. I haven't change at all." Neji looked taken aback. He put a hand on her shoulder and said,

"Hinata-sama, if you ever say that you haven't change again, I swear, dead princess or not, I'll kick your ass." he grinned, and Hinata gave a short laugh. "You've changed so much, I didn't even recognize you when we first met again." Hinata's eyes started to tear up when the front door opened.

"Tadaima!" Said a female voice. Hinata glanced over at the door and saw a tall woman with dark brown buns on her head and recognized her as Tenten.

"Okaerinasai, Tenten. This," Neji said poking Hinata, "is my friend Kasumi, who graciously accepted my offer of tea." Tenten looked at Hinata and scoped her up and down. Shrugging she smiled and after she took her sandals off, she stretched her hand out. Hinata took it and shook it softly.

"Hajimemashite, I'm Hyuuga Tenten, as my dear husband has probably told you." Hinata bobbed her head and stood up as Tenten sat down.

"Nice to meet you, Tenten-san, but I really must be going. I have other errands to attend to." Hinata gave a formal bow and said,

"It was a pleasure seeing you again, Neji-kun. I expect I'll be back soon." Neji inclined his head in agreement and watched Hinata as she put her slippers on and left quietly. Tenten turned to Neji and said,

"Friend? I've never seen her before." her eye brow was rasied, and her hand unconsiously stroked a kunai hanging from her belt. Neji gulped.

"I met her in the...Tea Country. On that mission with Lee and Ino-san, way back when we were genin still." Tenten looked skeptical, but kept her mouth shut.

_Kasumi of the Tea Country...eh?  
_

* * *

Hinata arrived back at her home a few hours later. She was tired from the emotional ups and downs, but generally happy. She got to see her son, her love's name was put to rest, and she scored a partime job at a barbeque restaurant on the other side of Konoha, near the Hokage tower.

Falling back onto her pallet, Hinata was asleep before she hit the pillow. She dreamt of Naruto and Kouden as a family. Even in her dreams, she marveled at how much her son looked like his father. Except his nose. Kouden definitly had Hinata's nose. Of course her eyes, but she couldn't recall any Hyuuga child not having the signature pale eyes.

Besides that, Hinata had a feeling of peace. One that she hoped would last a while longer.

A long while longer

* * *

A man in a long black cloak with white trim suddenly appeared at the mouth of a dark cave. The other person, a woman with flaming red hair and pale green eyes, wearing an identical cloak, save the trim decorating hers was green, flinched. She mumbled to herself. She hated it when he did that poofing thing around her. The man spoke first.

"Where are the others?" his voice was deep and the red haired woman always thought it was rather handsome, but her companion needed to work on his personality a bit. With narrowed green eyes, she said,

"Inside. You're late." She thought she heard a sigh come from his drawn hood as she descending into the cave.

Reaching the back, she took her respective place on a rock inscribed with the symbol of Konoha Shinobi on the top. A rough line had been crossed through it, indicating that the red head was an outlaw shinobi of Konoha.

Her companion sat down on a crossed out symbol for the cloud. He pushed his hood back to reveal tan coloured hair and matching eyes. His eyes were focused on the front where one person stood. This person had his, or her, as the red head was never sure, hood drawn, hiding it's face.

The other 3 figures on the other three seats were focused on the leader as well. The leader dropped a small stone, and everyone's attention was caught as the clacking noise bounced off of all of the walls.

"Now that we are all gathered here," the leader said, it's voice neither feminine, nor masculine, "We will disscuss what our latest target is." He paused, looking at the man with tan coloured hair, "I trust you located your target?" The tan haired man nodded curtly. The leader turned his gaze upon the red head. She saw a flash of red in it's hood and nearly shuddered.

"And you?" it said to her. She nodded and it turned to the back of the cave, facing away from the group.

For the next hour she watched and listened to this person she near worshipped, come up with a plan that not only implied the trust it had in them, but the power it would bring them, nearly made her cry.

These next few years were going to be intresting ones.

* * *

End Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry for the short and late chapter, I got caught up with school work, and shopping for halloween XD


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9  
**

* * *

Kouden opened his eyes and sat straight up, nearly making himself dizzy in the proccess. Looking on the wall of the cluttered room that he had called his for the last 2 and a half years, he spotted his large green calender that was emblazed with the symbol of Konoha in gold lettering and script.

Tenten had bought him that for his 10th birthday. Kouden's eyes were drawn to a single day that had been circled five or six times with a bright red marker. Staring at the spot for a few seconds, an almost audible click was heard has Kouden remembered what day it was. Throwing his cover back, he didn't even bother to tidy his pallet up and he shoved himself into his clothes at inhuman speeds. The only thing he slowed down for was to slide a thick silver ring onto his right ring finger.

The ring was studded with two crystals that was tinted purple, but only if you looked at it the right way. Sasami had given it to him a few months prior. She said the stones reminded her of his eyes.

Lastly, he stumbled out of his door, tying his kunai pouch on. Knocking on Aiko's door, she grunted and he slid it open.

Unlike Kouden, as he and Aiko were like night and day, her room was tidy and neat, all one colour scheme. The light from the hall spilt onto Aiko and she rolled over, moaning into her pillow.

"Get up, Aiko-chan, you have that test, dont you?" Kouden said. He heard Aiko gasp and watched as she threw her covers back. Wearing nothing but a tank top and her panties, she looked at Kouden, blushed, and threw her pillow at him. Kouden slid the door shut and nearly burst out laughing as he heard the small _whomp_.

Running down the stairs with enough grace to make it seem like he was just gliding down them, he neatly sat down and slid to his spot at the table that still occupied the middle of the room. Neji looked up from his tea, already dressed in his ANBU uniform, his mask sitting on his head.

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Neji-ni-san." Kouden said, offering a small wave as Neji poured him a cup of tea. Kouden brought his cup to his mouth and inhaled first, as he often watched his mother do.

Green tea today. Not his favorite, but it would do.

"You excited?" Neji said, reading the paper that was sitting on the table. Kouden nodded while sipping the tea.

"Are you gonna pass?" Kouden set his tea down and stared at his elder cousin. Neji just grinned, not looking at his face.

Neji finished his tea and stood up just as a yawning Aiko sauntered down the stairs wearing her day's attire. A dark red jacket styled like Tenten's usual clothes. Kouden had been told it was in style of a country called China that was to the south. Aiko also had light gray leggings that were baggy at the bottom, and stopped just below her knees. Beneath her jacket was a light purple sleeveless shirt with gold trim.

Seeing that her father was leaving, Aiko walked over to Neji and gave him a hug. Neji wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead.

"Itterashai, Tou-san!" Aiko said. Kouden looked back at his empty tea cup, a small feeling building up in his stomach. He had been here for 2 and a half years, and he saw his mother once. She was waiting for him in the living room one day when he had got back from a sparring session with Sasami. Neji was serving her tea, and Tenten and Aiko were nowhere to be seen.

He had chatted with her, and caught up, but Kouden hadn't seen her since. That meeting was almost 2 years ago. Kouden started to fear her dead, but banished such thoughts from his mind. Instead he tried to focus on the strange lady, Kasumi, as she had told him, that came to visit every week or so.

She had even stayed for dinner once, but looked very uncomfortable around Tenten. Tenten herself didn't seem to notice, but Kouden was ever watchful.

He also wondered whether or not Kasumi was the one watching him and Sasami spar every so often. Kouden caught the watcher once with his byakugan, but before he could focus on the person, they dissapeared.

Kouden was a bit paranoid that week, but it didn't last long.

"Ni-chan, if you keep zoning out, we're gonna be late!" Aiko said, tugging on Kouden's jacket. Since it was winter, instead of wearing his thin black and orange jacket he usually donned, Kouden wore a thicker and longer orange and yellow hoodie with a black stripe down the front. The red swirl of the Uzumaki clan, and the red and yellow flame of the Hyuuga clan decorated each shoulder. A fellow student once asked about the swirl, and Kouden just said it looked cool.

Standing, Kouden grabbed his shoulder bag, crammed with paper, and followed Aiko out the door.

Walking down the street the stores were just starting to open, and a few people dotted the long road. At the first fork a bobbing head of pink made her way to Kouden and Aiko. She raised her hand and said,

"Ohayou, Hyuuga sibs." Kouden waved back and Aiko nodded.

"Ohayou, Sasami-chan." Sasami fell instride with Kouden and grasped his hand.

"Excited, Kouden-kun?" Sasami said, leaning over. Kouden smirked.

"Somewhat. Slightly nervous, Otou-sama failed it three times." Sasami laughed and waved to Noneko as she rounded the corner to join their small group.

The group of four turned another corner before the Academy came into veiw. A few of the younger children were swinging on the new swingset, and some of the older children were punching and kicking logs. Just as Kouden's group walked past the gates, a tone sounded and everyone started to file inside.

Walking into his classroom, he hurried to the backrow to save a seat for Sasami as she crossed their names off the attendance sheet at the front of the class.

A few minutes of titter tatter and Iruka walked in the door, sliding it closed with his foot. Raising a hand the class fell silent, and Kouden still wondered how he did it.

"Mina-san, ohayou gozaimasu." He said,

"Sensei, ohayou gozaimasu!" The student said in unison. Their apparent excitement evident in their voices. Iruka grinned, crinkling the long scar across the bridge of his nose.

"Sorry to dampen it, but your much awaited Genin exams wont be until after lunch. This morning will be used to reveiw." a few moments of collected groans later, and Iruka was passing out sheets.

After handing the papers out, Kouden glanced at it, and nearly moaned. It was a quiz.

"Ok, you have 2 hours to complete this as best you can. If you pass your genin exam this afternoon, you will never have to set another foot in this class again, and I intend to see that you are educated." Iruka paused, and said, "If anyone can score 95 and higher, I'll give you a bonus mark on your actual exam. Start!"

For the next two hours, Kouden breezed through the written exam. Sparing a glance at Sasami, he saw that she had finished already.

Ten minutes of nothing to do but doodle on the back of his paper and Iruka stepped up to the first level of the desks.

"Time! Good, now pass your papers to the end of the row and bring them to my desk. Make sure you have your name on them this time, Sakana." A girl in the middle row with long orangy-brown hair blushed and quickly scribbled along the left side of her paper.

"Good. Lunch break started ten minutes ago, so you can go relax for another half an hour, but don't be late. If you miss your turn, unless you have a very good reason for being late, you wont get a do-over." Kouden shoved his bag under his desk, and stood up. Sasami stood in front of him and they walked out the door to the training ground.

Walking to their favorite tree, they used chakra to jump to the top of the branches, and sat down.

"How do you think you did?" Kouden said. Sasami shrugged and said,

"It was pretty easy, I mean, I probably knew most of the stuff by last year. What about you?" Kouden grinned.

"Covered it was I was 7 with Ka-san. She drilled me hard when it came to knowledge." Sasami smiled.

Peering through the dead brown leaves that were still clinging to the branches of the tall tree, Kouden pointed.

"See him? Shiro?" Sasami followed his finger. Leaning towards him Sasami nodded. The boy Kouden was pointing at had black hair that was short in the back, and quite long in the front. He was leaning against the dark red wall of the academy, trying to ignore three girls that had grouped a few metres away. His jacket was a contrast against the school as it was white with a strip of blue across the shoulders and down the zipper. Even from across the yard and up in a tree, Kouden could see that his face was red.

"Is he blushing or is he angry?" Sasami said after a few seconds. Kouden looked down at her.

"You can see it too? I think he's blushing. I think one of his fan girls might have said something perverted. I've heard them do it in class before." Kouden refrained from telling Sasami that he also earned a black eye for evesdropping on the girls.

The pair in the tree continued to watch the disstressed boy try moving to another spot, only to have the giggling girls follow him. He tried to talk to another boy in their class, but the giggling girls made speech impossible. Moving around the courtyard, he finally stopped under the tree Sasami and Kouden were sitting in.

"Should I give him an escape route?" Kouden said. Sasami nodded and Kouden pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket. Using the pen that Sasami always had with her, he scribbled on the paper, and tied it around a kunai that he had hidden in his hoodie.

Dropping the kunai in front of Shiro, who caught it automatically, Kouden watched the boy unwrap the paper. Shiro looked up for a second and saw Kouden wave. Shiro smirked and walked off.

Walking around the corner, his fangirls, who had been distracted, flustered, but as soon as they saw him come around the corner again, they fluttered to him. As Shiro kept walking away from the girls, another boy, one with short red hair and black eyes walked up to Kouden's tree and used a burst of chakra to jump into the first branch.

"You made it, eh?" Kouden said to the red head. He nodded and sat down on a lower branch that Kouden and Sasami. A pop was heard and The red head turned back to Shiro.

"Konnichi wa, Shiro-kun." Sasami said, offering a wave and a smile. Shiro just nodded.

Turning his attention back to the Shiro that was walking around in the courtyard, he nearly laughed out loud when the boy, or buunshin disapeared in a puff of smoke. His fan girls looked around wildly before letting out a noise of frustration that Kouden could hear from his tree.

"Man, why can't _I_ have fan girls?" Kouden said to Shiro. Shiro looked at him and said,

"You want 'em? Take 'em. Please." Sasami giggled and Kouden said,

"Actually. You can keep them. I have my own fangirl, one's enough." Putting his arm around Sasami, she blushed and Shiro chuckled. Stretching back so his legs hung over each side of the branch he sat on Shiro said,

"You guys ready?"

"Of course we are. I made sure Kouden was smart enough to pass the written test at least." Kouden faked offence and said,

"Well I never. Why do I remember Ka-san teaching me at the tender age of 7, miss I-learned-everything-at-school?" Sasami gasped and glanced at Shiro. Kouden snapped his mouth shut. Shiro spoke though.

"7? I thought your parents adopted you when you were almost 9?" Kouden avoided his eyes, and said,

"I meant my temp family I had once. In the village I lived in, I was adopted once for a month or two when I was 7. They made me learn nearly a years work of stuff that you'de find in year two." Shiro looked up at Kouden, his blue eyes matching his sweater.

"In two months? Wow. That's a little cruel." Kouden nodded.

"That's why I was pulled out of that one. They were a little abusive." Shiro nodded and averted his eyes to the leaves. Sasami's face was unreadable, but she felt like laughing. Not that the lie was funny, but that Kouden was so good at it.

Kouden looked at Sasami, and noticed her eyes were on the brink of tears and nudged her. She grunted but swallowed her laugh.

"Ne, do you think Tsunade-sama will take me in an apprenticeship after I pass the genin exam? She told me to come back when I was a genin, and my chakra control is perfect, according to Iruka-sensei." Sasami said, breaking the tense pause.

"Sasami-chan, Tsunade probably said that to shut you up, and it was like, more than two years ago." Kouden said. Sasami stuck her lower lip out.

"Way to ruin a kunoichi's dream." Kouden laughed.

"I wanna try and get Sasuke-sama to teach me katon and what not. I mean, remember the clan project we did?" Kouden nodded. It was the thing that made Shiro start talking to Kouden, and eventually befriend him. They weren't that close, as Shiro only joined Sasami and Kouden when invited, but he was intresting to talk to.

"That project answered alot of my questions." Kouden said. Sasami piped up and said,

"Mine too. Remember the look on my face when I found out that my baa-sama was a Haruno? Iruka-sensei laughed at me and said that my pink hair was probably from her." Kouden nodded and nudged Sasami.

"Remember the look on Ne-chan's face when you told her that her aunt was your baa-san?" Sasami laughed.

Sakura had actually squealed, scaring her pink haired son. She hugged Sasami and told her to visit with her father when ever she wanted to.

"Have you told Sasuke-san that you went over board on your report and accidentally found out that you were his like, 8th cousin 7 times removed?" Kouden said to Shiro. Shiro laughed quietly.

"No, but I plan on using it to convince him to train me. I heard he can summon snakes. That'd be a cool thing to learn." Kouden nodded eagerly and Sasami nodded as well.

The tone sounded for lunch break to end and Sasami, Kouden, and Shiro all jumped out of the tree, and hustled into the academy, hoping they wouldnt run into Shiro's fanclub.

Successfully getting into class, Sasami told Shiro good luck, and she and Kouden took their seats at the back of the class.

After the stream of students lessened, and then eventually stopped, Iruka, who had just finished marking their tests, raised his hand. The class fell still, but the tension was so thick, Kouden thought he could cut it.

Iruka stood up and Iruka started to talk.

"Ok, I'm just gonna read the name and scores out, and then we can start." He paused, searching for the first name. "Ok, Azuyama Ame? You scored 89 percent." a groan was heard from the middle row. Iruka continued, but Kouden's attention strayed slightly.

"Ditama Sasami? You scored 98 percent, good job!" Kouden groaned. If he didn't score higher than her, she'd gloat all week.

"Hibiki Sakana...you scored 67 percent. I think that you need to study a little bit more." Sakana let out a sigh and slumped to her desk.

"Hyuuga Kouden? You scored 94 percent. Almost, but not quite enough." Kouden's eyes widened, and he looked at Sasami, who looked about to burst.

"Oh shut up, pinky-chan." Kouden said whispering so Iruka wouldnt hear.

After Iruka called the scores, Kouden was dismayed to learn that Shiro had scored 96, and that he was the only one not getting an extra point. Clenching his fist Kouden mentally raised his determination to do his best on the actual exams.

"Ok, now here's the part you've all been waiting for." The door slid open and another chuunin slipped in and sat down on the extra chair.

"Benri and I will judge you as you perform a kawarimi, a buunshin, and a henge. For the kawarimi, try to use the log that Benri brought in. For the buunshin, two or more is better, and they should be able to move on their own. No sickly ones please. For henge, Keep it to me or Benri." Iruka paused as Benri wordlessly stood the log up, and sat back down with a bored expression.

"Azuyama Ame, you first." The girl got up from her seat and stood infront of the desk. She ran through a few seals and shouted, 'Kawarimi no jutsu!', and in a puff of smoke, she switched places with the log.

Benri and Iruka both ticked their pages and nodded at Ame to continue. When Ame performed Buunshin, she got the two required, but they both looked a little queasy. Kouden heard her swear from his seat in the back. Her henge didn't go as well ether, as Iruka was missing a face. Iruka sighed and Ame went back to her seat to wait for the rest of the class to be tested before she hears if she passed or not.

"Im nervous, Kouden-kun, I have to go first...What If I cant do henge good enough?" Sasami whispered to Kouden. Kouden mindlessly watched the Byuuno twins do their test together.

"Dont be, you've got the best chakra control around. I'm sure you'll do great, but you've got that extra point too. Just do your best." Sasami smiled and blushed. She turned back straight and twidled her thumbs.

"Ditama Sasami, you next." Iruka said, smiling. Kouden grabbed her hand breifly and smiled when Sasami looked at him.

Not three minutes later and Sasami was sitting back in her seat, the smile on her face forcing her eyes to close. Kouden rolled his eyes.

"Show off." He said. Sasami made 6 extra buunshin, just to impress. Each one had a perfect look to it as well. Kouden was still grumbling when his own name was called.

Sauntering down the stairs, He grinned at Iruka and performed the seals for kawarimi, and performed it perfectly. He then used buunshin, and made 4 of them. Iruka raised his eyebrow, and ticked his page.

Kouden grinned, and his buunshin picked up the log and put it back, making the bored looking Benri raise his brow. When he did henge, Benri's hair colour was slightly off, but Iruka patted his shoulder and Kouden returned to his seat. Leaning to Sasami he said,

"See that? I made my buunshin clean up. What a good boy I am." Sasami giggled and said,

"But what about henge? Benri has black hair. How does black look like blonde to you?" Kouden wrinkled his nose and sniffed at Sasami. Sasami just giggled more.

Kouden and Sasami continued to whisper for the rest of the exam, only stopping to watch Shiro do his test, and when someone's buunshin blew up, fluttering the papers on Iruka's desk around, scattering them all over the floor.

"Ok, now that that's that. If I call your name, please make your way to the other room, congradulations, you pass, the rest stay here. Azuyama Ame, Byuuno Ranji and Renji, Ditama Sasami, Hibiki Sakana, Hyuuga Kouden, Higurashi Souta, Inuzuka Koharu, Oketsu Shiro, Ogawa Kohaku, Shikikami Daisuke, and Tendou Masashi. Please go to room 206."

Kouden and Sasami hid their looks of glee as they walked to the next room. Sliding open the door to the next room, the first few students hustled inside. Once Kouden was through he glanced around. The room was the same colour as the classroom, a dull yellow, but this one was devoid of furniture, save a desk right in the middle. Sitting at this desk was Benri.

_What? How did he get here so fast?_ Kouden thought. Sasami nudged him and said,

"How did he get here so fast?" Kouden shrugged. He saw other people whisper as well.

After all the student had filed in, they lined up against the wall, going with Benri's instructions. After a few minutes, Iruka slid the door open and made his way to the desk, leaning back on it.

"Im proud to say that you 12 Academy students, can now claim the title genin of Konohagakure. Congradulations." A few students gave a whoop, but after they calmed down, Iruka pulled a bag that clinked when he moved it, out of the desk.

Going to the first person in line, Koharu, Kouden thought, he reached into the bag, and handed her a shiny hiteate with the leaf symbol on it.

"Inuzuka Koharu, you are officially genin. Please make your way to the back of the room and wait for your team to be called." Koharu nodded eagerly and made her way to the back. Iruka continued to hand out headbands and before he knew it, Kouden was sitting in the back of the room, a hiteate on his forhead, and his fingers hurting from trying to help Sasami tie hers around her forehead.

Iruka raised his hand, and the murmurs died down. He pulled out a paper from his vest.

"When I call your group number and members, please stay here untill your Jounin Sensei comes to retrieve you." The newly administered genin nodded and Iruka continued.

"Team 7, Ditama Sasami, Hyuuga Kouden, and Oketsu Shiro." Kouden grinned madly, glad that his best friend was on his team, and more than happy that Shiro was as well. Shiro made his way over, a small grin trying to escape. He sat down beside Sasami and listened to the other teams.

"Team 8, Azuyama Ame, Tendou Masashi, and Ogawa Kohaku." The said genin grouped near the front. Kohaku seemed a little intimidated, as he was smaller than both his teamates.

"Team 9, Byuuno twins, and Hibiki Sakana." The twins perked up, and when Sakana aproached them, they shook both her hands at the same time, making her giggle and blush. The boy's twin blue eyes were secretly conversing in twin language.

"And finally, Team 10, Higurashi Souta, Inuzuka Koharu, and Shikikami Daisuke. Please wait here untill they come for you. They have been notified now, so it shouldn't be more than ten minutes." Everyone nodded and started to chat as people greeted their new partners. Iruka walked out of the room, followed by Benri.

"Ahh, I'm happy our team turned out like this." Sasami said, clapping her hands toghether. Shiro nodded.

"I'm happy that Kakashi-sensei is our sensei." Shiro looked up and said,

"Kakashi? How do you know he's our sensei?"

"Uhn, Well, he was the old team 7 teacher, according to Neji-ni-san, and he told me so himself once." Kouden nodded, confirming his own story. Shiro gaped.

"You know him? Personally?" Kouden grinned and nodded.

"He was with the ANBU back then, though. He was scouting me and Sasami-chan's village when he ran into us. It was thanks to him that I even got adopted." Shiro nodded, a thoughtful look on his face.

A few mintutes of silence between Team 7 passed before the door slid open, and a pretty woman wearing white bandages entered. Her red eyes scanned the room before she said,

"Team 8?" Three genin stood up and left with her, Ame waving to her friends before leaving with her new team.

An hour passed and only one team was left. Kouden told Sasami and Shiro about Kakashi's lateness, and had since made bets at the time he showed up.

It wasn't untill after 6 pm that Kakashi finally did stick his head in the room.

"Team 7?" he said, Kouden stood up, followed by Sasami and Shiro. Kouden gave Shiro a ryo, as he had won the time bet, and said,

"Kakashi sensei, you're late." Kakashi looked at him, then at Sasami, and then at Shiro. He closed his eyes and said quite audibly.

"Kami-sama. I am going to _kill_ Tsunade. I swear." all three genin twitched and cautiously followed Kakashi down the hall towards a training ground that Kouden had trained in once or twice. Right by the cenograph.

On their way there, Kouden still received a few looks of hatred, so he kept his face down. Sasami's face reddened with anger, although neither of them knew why the looks happened. Shiro just watched everything. He resolved to ask his team mates some questions later.

Kouden heard laughter. Looking up he saw a lady with long blonde hair, holding a little girl with hair just as blonde in her arms.

"Oh Kami-sama. That's great Kakashi-sensei. Just great. You have fun with them now." She said, wiping a tear and moving past them. Kakashi just glared at her.

On the way to the cenograph, they received a few laughs from a few people he recognized as the 'rookie nine' that Neji had told him about.

Finally reaching the centograph, Kakashi sat down in front of it and regarded his students.

"Now, first, for introductions...tell me your name, age, and your dislikes and likes."

Kouden opened his mouth to go first...

End Chapter 9


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

* * *

Hinata was on her way to her job at the barbeque restaurant. She had found out two weeks into the job that Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, and their respective families regularily attended it.

She enjoyed the job, big tips, lots of gossip. Her manager found her enjoyable and gave her a few raises. For the last 2 and half years, Hinata lived in relative comfort.

She visited Neji every week or so, but when Tenten invited her to dinner once, she nearly had a breakdown. She didn't know why, but she knew Kouden noticed. He didn't have to say anything.

Hinata watched Kouden and Sasami spar occasionaly, she thought she might have been seen once, but she couldnt be sure. Hinata pondered all of this, as she was walking down the street to her job, one sunny afternoon in November, when she walked into a squishy wall. Or what seemed a wall.

Looking up, as she had fallen on the ground, she saw a blonde boy who was holding his head.

"Kouden-kun?" Hinata said. She figured that 'chan' was too little for him now. He was nearly up to her mouth. Kouden looked up and gaped.

"Ahh! Kasumi-san! Gomen ne! I wasn't watching where I was going, I was in a hurry to tell Ka-chan that I passed my genin exam! Oh yea, Kasumi-san, I passed my test! See?" Kouden said, pointing at his forehead.

Hinata reached over and poked it.

"I see, I see, that's so cool. Here, want me to walk you to Tenten-san's store? It's...almost on the way to my work." Kouden thought for a second, but agreed and pulled Kasumi to Tenten's store by the hand.

Opening the door, a few shuriken that were tied to a string at the doortop jingled. Tenten came out from the back, and her face visably lifted when she saw her step-son.

"You're a genin! Oh my! That's wonderful news!" She said, before Kouden could say anything.

"When I get home from work, we can celebrate, so make sure you are there." Tenten said, and kissed Kouden's hiteate.

"Hai, Ka-chan! I just came to tell you I passed, I should probably go home and tell Aiko-chan."

Kouden waved and left the store. Tenten looked up at Kasumi.

"He's grown since he came here, hasn't he?" She said, watching his receeding figure.

"He has. I'm sure you're proud of him." Tenten smiled and nodded.

"Ah, I have to get going. I'll see you later this week, maybe for tea?" Tenten nodded and waved as Hinata left the shop.

Walking down the road, she passed a small tea shop, and was reminded of the real Kasumi. The last she saw of them was year ago. Yamato told her they found what they were looking for, and left Konoha. Hinata wasn't quite sure what, but she had promised not to medle in their affairs, however weird they were, if they promised not to ask why she kept a henge up all the time.

Actually, she started suffering from constant chakra exhaustion after a few weeks of using henge, and started to buy black hair dye, and green contacts. It wasn't quite as good as henge, but it was less tiring, and no one seemed to notice any different.

"Ah, kuso." Hinata said, as she walked into the restaurant and waved at regulars who recognized her. "I forgot to ask what team Kouden made." She made a face and went behind the counter. Putting on a white apron, Hinata nudged her friend, Hitomi, who said,

"Yo, you're orders are over there." She pointed to a small stack of papers. "The top three are done and ready to be served." Hinata nodded and did so.

A big plate of some kind of meat that smelled really good, and two smaller plates of pasta were to go to table 8. With over two years of expeiriance, Hinata picked up all three plates with ease and made her way to the table.

"Good evening, Ino-san, Asuma-san, Choji-san. Here are your orders." She said, bowing her head.

"Ahh, arigato, Kasumi-san." Ino said, rubbing her hands together. Choji said something, but his mouth was already full, and Asuma just grunted.

As she walked away, she caught part of their conversation.

"So, as I was saying, I saw the new team 7 today. Kakashi looked about to murder. He had that dark kid that broods alot, the blonde kid that everyone says looks like Naruto-kun, and that pink haired girl that's related to Sakura. Imagine that! He's got team 7 lookalikes! I laughed at them today, on the way to drop Inoshi-chan off at Sai's work. Man..." Hinata had paused when she heard Kakashi's name, but continued on to the next table as soon as they got off topic.

She smiled. Team 7 again. She'd have to see this.

The rest of her night went along without a hitch. She didn't get any other good gossip, but the partial team 10 group left her a big tip, as usual. Ino hugged her before they left, which was usual as well.

Walking home, her pockets jingled with a few loose ryo from her tips.

Walking by the Hyuuga Manor, as she did sometimes, she daydreamed about being 'alive'. It was hard to watch your friends grow up around you. She often walked by here, it took an extra ten minutes to get back to her apartment, but the veiw was nicer.

"Kasumi-san, may I ask a question?" a voice from the manor said.

"Hnn?" Kasumi said, looking for the voice. A dark blue head stuck out from the entrance and Hanabi walked over to her, and past her to the bench in front of the manor. Patting the seat, she invited Hinata to sit.

"Ok, ask." Hinata said. She missed Hanabi too. Even though Hanabi had just started to warm up to her before she left Konoha. Hanabi paused though, as if she was picking the right words.

"Can...can I ask you why you look so much like her?" Hinata blinked.

"...what?" She said, sounding a little blunt.

"Aneue. You look like her, did you know that? You have the same nose as her, the same chin...just, just a few years older, that's all." Hanabi said, slowly moving her head so she could see Hinata's profile better.

"I..I dont know. I suppose there is that theory that everyone has a twin that they aren't related to. Maybe your Aneue-san was my twin? I mean, I hear every where that there is a boy that looks like the village hero." Hanabi smiled and sat back up straight.

"No, that boy was born after after said hero died. He would be a reincarnation." Hinata sighed and agreed. Hanabi studied her for a bit longer.

"Do you want to come in for tea? I daresay that I see you pass by a few times a week. Do you visit the cenograph that often?" Hinata smirked, but not at Hanabi.

"Yea, every morning I visit him. But I only walk by here to and from work. It's prettier." Hanabi nodded.

"So. Did you want to come in? I've got all sorts of tea." Hinata hesitated, but agreed.

Hanabi smiled warmly and stood up. Hinata followed her into the receiving room, and took a seat at the small table that was placed in the middle of the room.

"What kind of tea would you like, Kasumi-san?" Hanabi said.

"What kinds do you have?" Hinata said, as Hanabi rifled through the drawer that held tea.

"Uhn, oops. It seems we only have mint and orange. I rather dislike orange, do you mind if we have mint?" Hinata smiled.

"Mint is my favorite, Hanabi-sama." The younger girl smiled and started to make tea. When the pot whistled, she poured Hinata a cup, and Hinata poured Hanabi a cup.

A few minutes of sipping tea, and not talking followed as Hinata drank in the sights of how her old home had changed.

"It's very beautiful here." Hinata said, looking at the various photos and paintings. Hanabi nodded and continued to drink her tea.

"What was she like?" Hinata said, and Hanabi paused.

"Aneue?" Hinata nodded, still looking at a photo. Hanabi followed her gaze to the family photo that had been taken just before Hinata's mother died. It was the only photo that had her whole family in it.

Hinata smiled and Hanabi sighed.

"I hated her." Hinata's head whipped around to face her younger sister.

"I know, horrible right? But I didn't even realize that it wasn't hate, it was jealousy. I didn't even realize how much I loved her, but I know how much I miss her. She died when I was 12." Hanabi paused, staring at Hinata with white eyes.

"I was five years younger than her, and always won our spars. I thought she was weak, and was insanely jealous that she was the clan heir and not me. I thought that maybe if I made her life hell, it would compensate for my lack of authority.

I taunted her relentlessly, made sneer and snide remarks, stole our father's love, and did everything I could to lower her confidence and make her give up being clan heir.

Hinata stareed at Hanabi's face. Hanabi held a look of disgust, but Hinata wasn't sure who it was directed at.

"It was so long ago...When she was 12 herself, she took her first chuunin exam. Where as she lost in the prelim fight against our elder cousin, her words shook him up so bad that another boy, one that she so happened to like, beat the crap out of him. Not that this was an easy feat either. Neji-ni-san was the number one genin of that time, and Naruto-san, the boy, was the 'dead last' as people liked to call him. I watched the fight myself and was amazed. I suppose that words can hurt more than sticks and stones."

Hinata remember the first part herself. But she passed out due to injuries from her fight with Neji.

"Naruto-san, and coincidally our future village hero, then left on an apprenticeship with a legendary sannin for almost three years. Aneue trained everyday in an attempt to get Naruto-san to notice her when she came back. Even I noticed the effect. She started to stutter less and less, she started to stick up for herself, and once she finally beat me in a spar, I can't recall ever winning one again." Hanabi paused to sip her tea, and Hinata snapping out of memories, did the same.

"What happened next? After Naruto-san came back?" Hanabi laughed.

"Well I don't know the explicit details, but after a few months, He and Aneue and a few other shinobi were sent on a mission. Naruto-san had recently been raised chuunin by the hokage, instead of the normal test.

Their mission was to once and for all bring back Uchiha Sasuke. Aneue told me that after she and one of the other nin there killed Orochimaru's right hand man, she herself had fought with Sasuke-san, but in a short while, he ended up knocking her out.

When she woke up, she told me that Naruto-san had slung her over his shoulder, along side the unconcious Uchiha, who in turn had all four limbs broken." Hanabi paused to sip her tea, and even though Hinata knew the events, he had never heard it told back to her. She twitched from anxiety as Hanabi stopped talking.

"Aneue told me that she dreamt of him sometimes, which usually led to her talking in her sleep. She said that her genin team informed her of this once. But back to the point, she told me that she picked that time, slung over Naruto-san's shoulder, to mumble her true feelings for him. Which eventually led to them dating." Hanabi smiled, she always enjoyed having Hinata retell that part. She was a sucker for romance stories.

"Of course, as my sister was the heir to the entire Hyuuga clan, her dating this boy was unthinkable. For some reason that nearly everyone noticed, but never mentioned, all of the older generation, my father included, hated this boy. Shot him spiteful looks, called him names, threw rocks...I even heard that he was banned from stores. Apparently, I also hear that this young Naruto-san look-alike as been subject to some hate, if in a minor form." Hinata narrowed her eyes. She had noticed too. She had also threatened those people that she found.

"But their happiness ended shortly after a little more than a year together. I had heard rumours of marriage, and such, and I secretly hoped that Aneue would make me, what the westerner's call the 'flower girl'." Hanabi smiled softly.

"I was awoken one day by a shout from my Aneue's room, and made my way to her door. Peeking in, I said to her, 'please, i'm trying to sleep.' quite rudely, if I remember right. Aneue apologized with a large smile. I remember rolling my eyes, and trudging back to my bed." Hanabi paused, her white eyes were shining.

"The next time I was awoken, it was again by shouts, but this time of ANBU and other Hyuuga members. 'That damn demon is dead! Finally, the village and our princesses are safe!' I didn't know what they meant at the time, but I had found out the next day, that Naruto-san had been murdered, and Aneue was the one who did it. I remember the news made me sit down. I wanted to throw up. How could she have done that? I was supposed to be at her wedding! Later that day, I saw Neji-ni-san come back from a mission in his ANBU uniform. He was covered in blood, and tried to avoid my eyes. I overheard what he said to Otou-sama. He said that Aneue was dead. That he had buried her as well. I dont remember much more, I think I might have fainted."

Hanabi was now silently tearing. One or two falling down her cheeks.

"I got my position as heir the next day, and soon after leader of the clan, as my father had been removed personally by the Hokage-sama. At the price of my own flesh and blood, I got my wish. I got it."

Now near sobbing, Hinata wanted to reach out and comfort her younger sibling. She hated it when Hanabi cried. She started to reach her hand out to Hanabi, when a deep voice broke the moment.

"What's this about my dear Hinata?"

* * *

"Is that the target?" A man in a black cloak asked, pointing to his left. His red headed partner leaned in closer, frowning with concentration as she looked over the crowds from the rooftop they sat upon. She then saw the tell tale yellow flash, that was followed by a pink one.

"That's the target." She paused, flipping her red hair over her shoulder. "When is Leader going to put the plan into definite motion?" She asked. Her partner gazed upon her with the tan eyes she adored.

"Apparently, Leader is still only halfway through making this jutsu. Leader told us at the last meeting that it has to be tested, fixed, tested, and fixed again. Tedious work, which you would have known, had you not been spacing out." The red head gave a nervous laugh, and leaned over to give a snuggle.

"I don't have to listen if I have you to give me a recap, do I?" The tan haired man rolled his eyes, and turned to the direction of the two youngsters. The red head turned as well, and brought a finger to her mouth.

"Nn. He looks familiar, doesn't he?" She said, pointing at the blonde, as he tugged the pink haired girl towards a ramen shop called Ichiraku Ramen.

The tan haired man tightened his lips, and said,

"Maybe, but not really." His partner scrunched her nose up and sat down, raking her brain for the answer as to where she had seen him, or a likeness.

* * *

Opening the white door to his small house, Shikamaru hung his ANBU mask on the wall, and took off his sand coloured vest.

"Welcome home." Temari said, fixing their nearly three year old daughter's dark hair, so it resembled Temari's style. When she finished, the little girl ran through another door to her room to play with the dolls that her uncle had so generously bought.

"What did my brother want?" Temari said, putting her hands on her hips, as she watched her daughter run away.

"The Kazekage wanted nothing more to inform me that the last Akatsuki member is dead, and that he has another present for Shikazai." Shikamaru said, pulling out a small yellow package. Temari smiled and sighed.

Gaara liked to spoil his only neice any time he could. Shikamaru figured that he was trying to make up for the six years of abuse against his older siblings. Temari forgave him immediatly, but Gaara never thought that was enough.

Looking around his sandstone dwelling, he nearly laughed. He hadn't convinced his long-time girlfriend to move to Konoha after their daughter had been born, but neither had she convinced him to join Suna.

They comprimised, 6 months in Konoha, 6 months in Suna.

Gone were Shikamaru's dreams of marrying an average girl, having an average job with an average pay. Instead he married the Kazekage's sister, was a special jounin in two countries, and got double wages as proof. He did have a girl first. Much to his liking. Now he just needed a son. The thought almost made him roll his eyes.

"Your brother dearest, needs to stop spoiling her so much, ne? Tell Kankuro that he needs a girlfriend so Gaara can spoil his kids. Better yet, tell _Gaara_ he needs a girlfriend so that he can spoil _his_ kids, and he will see how rotten they will be." Temari rolled her green eyes. Shikamaru then slipped his hand around Temari's waist and said,

"You know, if she had a brother, she wouldn't grow up to be rotten, would she?" and with a raising of his brow, and a slight squeeze to Temari's side, she blushed and squeaked and Shikamaru kissed her.

(Much to Shikazai's dismay as she walked in on her parent's making out on the table)

End Chapter 10


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

"You first." Kouden said. Shiro and Sasami were quick to nod. Kakashi rolled his eye.

"If you insist. My name is Hatake Kakashi, I have some likes, and some dislikes, and my dream is none of your buisness." Kouden's brow twitched as Kakashi clapped and pointed at Sasami.

_We didn't learn anything other than his name! _thought three genin. Sasami, eyed Kakashi with her brown eyes before saying,

"Ditama Sasami. I like practicing chakra control, and studying medicine. I hate people that are mean without reason, and my dream is to be a medic-nin like Tsunade-sama!" Sasami finished and realized she had her fist in the air. Blushing she brought it down and looked to her right. Kouden raised an eyebrow and Kakashi just pointed at Kouden.

"Me? Ok. I'm U..er, Hyuuga Kouden. I like Ka-chan's cooking, practicing jyuuken with Neji-ni-san, and reading about the Naruto legend." Kouden paused as Shiro's gaze became more focused. Even without his byakugan, he felt the stares. It made the hairs on his neck stand.

"Er...my dislikes are failing, and when the villagers stare at me with hatred. And my dream is to become a Sannin!" Kouden said, his voice drowning out the other's thoughts on his last statement.

"Ok, well, you, with the dark hair. You're next." Kakashi said, rather emotionlessly. Shiro nodded and took a moment to gather his thoughts, and to tuck a few strands of his long hair behind his ear. Shiro took one last glance at Kouden before speaking.

"Un, Oketsu Shiro," Kakashi made a sound that sounded suspisously like a giggle, "My likes are udon and practicing my family jutsus with Kaa-san, and my hates are people who tell other people that their dreams are impossible." Shiro paused for a moment, and then let his entire body relax. But Kouden didn't miss his fist clench until his knuckles were white.

"I don't really have a definte dream right now, talk to me in a year." Sasami clicked her tongue and Shiro's serious face cracked slightly to reveal a small grin. Kouden relaxed, but continued to watch Shiro out of the corner of his eye.

A loud clap brought their eyes to their teacher. Kakashi regarded his new students before saying,

"Well now, It seems that despite the full class this year, only 12 students graduated. That presents a problem." Nodding, Kakashi observed the slightly confused glare of a certain blonde.

"So which team gets booted?" Sasami said. Kakashi grinned. She was smarter than he first thought.

"Depends. Tomorrow, right here, we are going to have a small test. A survival test. If you lose, you go back to the academy." Kouden's mouth dropped, Sasami's eyes widened, and Shiro snorted.

"7 am, and don't eat. You'll throw up." The grey haired jounin said before disapearing in a poof of smoke a leaves.

Kouden, Sasami, and Shiro just stared for a minute. The silence sooned turned awkward and Kouden finally suggested that they go to Ichiraku's. Sasami immediatly agreed, and Shiro shrugged, but followed.

When Kouden ducked under the flaps above the entrance, he was greeted by two friendly voices, both bidding him welcome.

"Oi, jii-sama! Miso ramen for me, and beef for Sasami-chan! Uh, what kind do you want, Shiro?" Kouden said, scratching the back of his head. Shiro sat down, but not before he noticed the small sigh that both Ichiraku and his daughter gave off.

"I'll have shrimp." The girl, Ayame, nodded and grinned, prepping his ramen.

Shiro directed his gaze at Kouden, who was busying himself with emptying his pockets looking for his wallet. When he finally found it, Shiro always flinched on how full it was. Kouden told him that because he was a part of the Hyuuga clan, he got an allowance, but he also did odd jobs for his mother.

Although, what really was irking Shiro, was Kouden's stumble earlier. What was he going to say before Hyuuga? Maybe he really knew his family name. He asked once, but his answer was anything but informative.

_Kouden sat on a thick bough of the tree that he, Sasami, and Shiro had all claimed. He was using chakra to direct leaves into Sasami's pink hair, while she was using her own, more controlled chakra to move small masses of leaves into Kouden's face, so that he would leave her hair alone. _

_Shiro sighed, he'd seen these so called 'fights' before. Usually he never got involved unless Sasami or Kouden started blowing leaves at him as well. But he could never do it as good. His control was apparently lacking._

_"Kouden, can you tell me how you, who to my knowledge can't even pull off a kawarimi, have that much control?" Kouden stopped for a second, which was a mistake, as Sasami filled his mouth with leaves. Spitting them out, he looked at Shiro. Kouden blinked and one of his eyes, right near the pupil, and almost invisible to the normal person, jittered. Shiro blinked and was about to ask, but Kouden cut him off._

_"Oh, I guess you didn't know? I practice jyuuken with Neji-ni-san, and Hanabi-sama." Shiro wrinkled his nose as he watched Sasami direct one small leaf towards Kouden, and then down his shirt._

_"Jyuuken? Isn't that a clan only taijutsu? Besides, don't you need byakugan?" Kouden looked to his left, before fishing the leaf out. He still his his hand down his black and orange jacket when he said, _

_"Uh, well, It seems that I might have a bloodline, faintly similar to byakugan. Uh...I can...I can see how chakra flows, kinda. Might give me a clue as to who my real parents are." Kouden said, unsteadily._

_In truth, Kouden was lying completly, Shiro suspected a lie, or a twist of truth, but he couldn't help but ask another question._

_"Have you any idea at all? Like, I'm sure you had caretakers, before you joined Konoha. Did they ever tell you?" Sasami's control slipped, and the slightly bigger leaf that she had been controlling at the time fluttered away. Kouden looked at Shiro, warily._

_"No. The leader-lady from the orphanage said that my okaa-san had dark hair, and pretty eyes. But she died giving birth to me." Shiro nodded and looked away, missing both Kouden and Sasami glance at each other before resuming their game of 'who could stuff the most leaves down the other's shirt first'._

Shiro snapped out of his thougts as a piping hot bowl of ramen was placed in front of him. Shiro nodded a thanks to Ayame and inhaled. The smell nearly made his mouth water. He reached for chopsticks and noted Kouden and Sasami already digging into their ramen.

Kouden, although his happy facade was up, was silently cursing himself about his slip up. He was sure Shiro noticed, and quite possibly Sasami.

Kakashi knew who his real parents were, so it didn't matter, but even though Sasami knew his mother, Kouden had never indulged his last name to her. Hinata had told him that his father had many enemies, and could attract unnessesary attention. On top of that, Kouden was surprised that Sasami, as smart as she was pretty, didn't put two and two together.

Kouden had been able to convince Sasami that his mother was a distant cousin of the Hyuuga, thus was why he had the byakugan. With a few words, Kouden convinced her, with no difficulty at all, that his mother was mearly named after the tragic princess.

Sometimes Kouden surprised himself with his ability to lie.

Sasami on the other hand, was completely missing this silent battle between Kouden and Shiro, and had completely missed the slip-up her best friend made. She happily slurped away at her ramen as she thought of the beautiful new anklet that Kouden had bought her for her birthday.

He had presented it today, just after graduation. He also kissed her cheek, causing her to blush so red that her face hurt.

A small splash and she fell back to reality when she noticed that one of her chopsticks were missing, and both her teammates, AND the ramen cooks were all staring at her.

Sasami gave a small squeak and blushed.

Kouden raised a yellow brow and said,

"Why are you blushing? Are you hiding something from us, Sasami-chan?" Sasami turned redder and glared at Kouden. Shiro shifted in his chair and Sasami directed her glare at him. Her eyes daring him to say something.

Shiro just rolled his eyes and finished his ramen.

"Well, this has been fun. I'll see you tomorrow, Kouden, Sasami-chan." Shiro bowed, which was just a small incline of his head, and left.

"Wah! Hey! Shiro! Get back here, you didn't pay!" Kouden shouted at the rapidly disapearing form.

"Aaah. I'll get him back, the bastard." Kouden said, grumbling now to a laughing Sasami.

* * *

Twenty minutes and an empty wallet later, Kouden was shaking his sandals off into the closet.

"Tadaimasu..." Kouden said, trailing off. Neji was seated at the small table, drinking tea and reading a few papers he had from a small stack of to his right. Looking up, Neji didn't say anything at first, but as soon as he spotted Kouden's forhead, his white eyes visably lit up.

"Ohh! Omedeto! What team did you get?" Kouden grinned, closing his eyes. Neji was struck, again, with how much Kouden looked like his father.

"Guess!" Kouden said. Neji shrugged. Kouden sighed.

"I got Kakashi-sensei! And Sasami-chan and Shiro are on my team! Ino-ne san stopped and laughed at Kakashi-sensei too." Neji was laughing quietly by now, holding a peice of paper in front of him.

"So that's what this is for!" He said. Kouden took a seat beside him and tugged on the paper.

Resignment Application

Name: Hatake Kakashi

Reason: I need to take a temporary break. I need to relax, read, maybe bother a few people... I'll probably be back in a few days.

Love Kakashi

"Hahaha, that idiot. Kakashi signed his ANBU resignation like a letter. I was gonna go tell him to shove it. He can't just up and quit...but I guess he has a reason after all." Still smiling, Neji put the paper down and looked at Kouden.

"So have you seen Tenten yet?" Kouden nodded.

"She said we were gonna celebrate, so we can't leave. Is Aiko-chan here?" Neji nodded this time.

A few minutes of silence later, and Kouden looked around before saying a whisper,

"Neji-ni-san, my eyes are starting to hurt... and holding this henge up all the time is starting to hurt. I found a burn near my nose yesturday when I went to sleep yesturday...Is there a way I can just, well, not henge anymore?" Neji stared at Kouden for a few minutes.

"Well, have you told anyone other than Sasami about your Byakugan?"

"I told Shiro that I had a bloodline like byakugan, but not exactly, and that it started to activate last year."

Neji nodded. He ran his hand through his long hair. Kouden sat back farther.

"How about, you slowly change the colour of your eyes, fading them, and after a while, maybe 3 or 4 months, you can claim that you're bloodline did it. I'll let you make up a name for it and everything."

"Ah! That's an awesome idea! You're so cool, Neji-ni-san!" Kouden nearly shouted.

"What's so cool?" A voice from the front door said. Kouden twisted his head and shouted,

"Ka-chan! Neji-ni-san said he'd buy me a bowl of ramen for getting genin!" Neji snorted, and Kouden could barely keep a straight face. Tenten just smiled.

"Well, if you want ramen, I guess you can't have _my_ present." Tenten said, making it obvious that she was hiding something behind her back.

Kouden started to jump up and down in his seat.

"What'd I get? What'd I get?" He said, shouting loud enough to attract Aiko, who was reading in her room, down to the top of the stairs.

"Shut up niichan! I'm trying to read!" Aiko huffed and turned around, but her protests fell upon deaf ears. Kouden was too excited about presents than anything.

Tenten brought out her hands, and presented two parcels about a foot long, wrapped in purple velvet. Kouden's eyes were like dinner plates as he hurridly grabbed the parcels. Nearly quivering with excitement he looked up at Tenten's face.

"Well, open them!" Tenten said, and not a second later, Kouden was staring at an unwrapped peice of steel in his hand. Neji blinked and carefully, as to not attract attention, scooted a few inches away from his little cousin. Kouden opened the other present and saw that it was a twin to his first.

Kouden hefted both presents into his hands. The handles were made of dark wood, and attached to the handles were round blades. They made a shape almost like a question mark. The points both had a small barb on them, no longer than the blades were wide.

Kouden looked closer at the extremly sharp looking weapons and saw that near the handle, was a single kanji inscribed on both the blades. One said 'heaven' and the other said 'earth'.

"Do you like it? I made these a while ago, and decided that you could have them when the time was right." Tenten smiled wide and continued. "I thought that combined with your jyuuken and the fact that you might have a similar bloodline to Neji, that they would suit you perfectly." Kouden grinned and looked up at Tenten.

"What are they called?" He said, in little more than a whisper.

"Kama. They are one of the oldest ninja tools. A long time ago, farmers used to use scythes to fend of enimies, because only samurai could use weapons. They eventually got smaller, and made of steel."

"Cool!" Kouden shouted, placing them carefully on the table, Kouden stood up and hugged Tenten hard enough to make her complain with a laugh.

Picking his new kama up, Kouden went through a simple jyuuken form, making sure he wasnt in anyones path.

"Now careful, those are really shar- Ah! Kouden-chan!" Tenten tried to say, but was cut off as Kouden proceeded to drop a kama and have it slice his leg neatly from knee to ankle. He cried out, and dropped the other one, which missed any of his limbs, but stuck straight up in the tatama rugs that covered the floor.

Neji, who had sucessfully snuck to the corner, now stood up and rushed to his little cousin.

"Yaa! Neji, do you know any healing jutsu?" Neji quickly shook his head and rushed to get a few towels from the closet upstairs. Tenten was busy holding Kouden's wound closed and trying to calm his screaming down.

When Neji came back with his towels, Tenten had gotten Kouden to quiet down to sobbing, and was now stroking his blonde hair with one hand, holding a tea towel to his large gash with the other.

Neji kneeled down beside the sobbing blonde and discarded the blood soaked tea towel. Tenten rushed to the cupboard above the stove and pulled out a roll of bandages. Both her and Neji then proceeded to tie the fresh towels around Kouden's leg.

"What's closer, the hospital, or Sakura-san's house?" Tenten said, now smoothing her step-son's hair, which was now more of an orange colour, due to the fact that Tenten's hands were covered in blood. Neji hesitated.

"I think the hospital, but Sakura will treat him faster." Tenten nodded and helped Kouden to stand up and hoist himself onto Neji's back.

"You alright, kid?" Neji said as he opened the front door. Kouden nodded and said,

"Yea...My leg really hurts though. I'm never gonna drop one of those again though..." Kouden said as Neji started to dash through the streets of Konoha. Neji just laughed and Kouden grinned.

"Hold on, it's just around the corner." Neji said, after a few minutes of running at chakra induced speed.

Dashing in through the large gates of the Uchiha compound, Neji made the now familar set of turns to get to the main household, the only one inhabited.

One last turn got them to the front door, where Neji stopped with cloud of dust, and started to bang on the door. A few seconds later, and Neji heard the pattering of feet and the door slid open to reveal a short dark pink haired 4 year old.

"Ah, Oshimakuru-kun, is your Okaa-san home?" The little boy slowly nodded and turned around and ran back into his house. Neji took a step inside, and closed the door. Carefully letting Kouden climb off of his back, Neji watched in amusement as Kouden glanced around everywhere.

Not even a minute later, both Sakura and Sasuke rounded the corner.

"Yo, Neji-san. Can I help you?" Sakura said, waving her wooden spoon in the air, nearly hitting Sasuke. Sasuke calmly plucked the spoon from her hand and glanced at Neji.

"Ah, yes. Sakura-san, I'm afraid that I am in need of your medical assistance. Rather quickly too, or else I wouldn't have to disturb you." Neji said, inclining his head a few inches.

"Oh! No bother, what's wrong?" Sakura said. Neji gestured at Kouden's leg. The towels were now blotted with red as his blood was leaking through.

Sakura gaped and ushered Neji and Kouden into her living room, Sasuke was close to follow.

As soon as Sakura reached the spacious room, she grabbed a bunch of pillows and piled them onto the floor. Pulling Kouden out of Neji's grasp, she sat him down on the pillows and set herself to slowly and carefully unwrapping Neji and Tenten's hasty work. Sasuke took this oppurtunity to speak to Neji.

"So, how's life been holding up?" He said. Neji didn't turn his head, but Sasuke knew that he was looking at him.

"Fine, fine. How has Sakura been holding up? With her baby and all, I mean." Sasuke slowly moved his head up and down before saying,

"She's fine. Over-eager, but fine." Sasuke said. Neji's mouth twitched into a grin. Sasuke had walked into the ANBU office last month to personally tell him the news.

"So what did he do?" Sasuke said, after a small cry was emitted from Kouden. Sakura was removing the final towel, and the dried blood was pulling at his skin.

"Dropped his Kama. Gift from Tenten for passing his genin exam. Sliced himself from the knee to his ankle." Sasuke wrinkled his nose, imagining the pain.

"You say he passed his exam? Do you know what team he got?" Sasuke said, sounding intrested. Neji wrinkled his nose this time and shifted his feet. Sakura has taken the last towel off and Kouden's gash looked worse than before. The skin around the edges were an angry red colour, and to Neji's trained eyes, he could see the indvidual muscles in his cousin's calf twitching.

Sakura's face was one of concentration as she lit both her hands up with the green fire of medic-nin jutsu. Placing her hands on the wound, Neji never failed to be amazed as the severed calf muscle started to knit itself together before his eyes.

After a good minute or so, the gash was still bleeding slightly, but it looked like a long shallow cut, instead of a long deep gash. Kouden had stopped sobbing and was looking at his leg with intrest.

"Stay here, Kouden-kun, I cant heal it all the way, I don't have enough chakra. But I can bandage it so it heals faster." Sakura said, rising and leaving the room. Kouden looked at Neji, and blushed slightly.

"So you didn't answer me. What team did Kouden get?" Sasuke said. Neji blinked, but Kouden replied before Neji could.

"Ne! I got Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke-nii-san!" Sasuke felt his mouth open slightly, as he watched the blonde grin so hard his eyes closed. A splash of water snapped him out of the momentary daze he was in. Looking to the hallway that Sakura had disapeared into, he saw a white bowl laying on the ground, and it contents splashed all around it. Sakura herself had her mouth wide open, and Sasuke saw from his position on the other side of the room, that a tear was starting to form in her bright green eyes. A long and tense moment passed before Sakura spoke, He voice wavering on the edge of tears.

"G-gomen...I, I just...uuu...I made s-such a mess..." Sakura bent over to pick up the fallen medical supplies and Sasuke went over to help.

"Ahh, it's ok. Here, I'll go fill this up. You just sit here and relax." Sasuke said. Neji slowly kneeled next to his cousin. He didn't know what had just happened, but he respected their privacy. Placing his hand on Kouden's shoulder, the smaller blonde looked up at Neji with a faded grin and slightly pale green eyes.

"You started the eye colour thing? When?" Neji said, in a low whisper.

"While riding on your back. How noticable is it?" Kouden said, barely moving his lips. Neji grinned.

"I can barely tell, dont worry, sshh..." Neji said, trailing off as a now calmed down Sakura apologized and started to clean and bandage Kouden's wound.

"I have two tips for you. Eat a big break fast tomorrow, despite Kakashi-sensei's orders, and no matter what he says tomorrow, work as a team. Remember that, even if you forget to eat, work as a team." Sakura said. Kouden nodded and Sakura ruffled his bloodstained hair. Wrinkling her nose, Sakura then said,

"And take a shower, you have blood all over you." Neji let out a laugh and Kouden tested his bandages.

* * *

End Chapter 11 


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

"What's this about my dear Hinata?" A deep voice broke the moment. Hanabi's breath caught in her throat, but she coughed to cover it up. Hinata's outstretched hand shot back to her lap as she stared at the newcomer.

The man, he was tall, and stood straight and proper. His pale eyes held both sadness and weariness. The man put his hand on Hanabi's shoulder and squeezed it slightly. Hanabi stopped her sobbing and grimly smiled up at him.

Hinata's mind was blank as she watched this...this man, the one she used to call 'father' touch her little sister with kindness and loving care. As the world started moving again, Hinata's mind nearly audibly snapped. Her fists were tangled on the ends of her jacket, and her knuckles started to creak under the extreme pressure.

"Kasumi-san? Are you ok?" A voice asked. Hinata's body visably deflated. Looking up, Hinata looked her sister right into her pale eyes and said,

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking of all the injustice that Naruto-san must have endured. It was wrenching my heart. But I am afraid I must leave. I just remember that I had...something to do. Thank you for your hospitality, Hanabi-sama." Hinata stood up, and gave her sister a shaky bow.

Sliding open the door to the yard, Hinata had to restrain herself from running.

Back at the Hyuuga household, Hiashi had taken Hinata's place and Hanabi had poured him his own cup of tea.

"That girl...who is she, daughter?" He said.

"Kasumi. She never gave me her family name, but I never asked. I invited her to tea because she passes the manor often on her way to her job." Hanabi said. 'Kasumi's' actions were troubling. She wasn't quite sure, but Hanabi thought she felt a tightly reigned killing intent as soon as her father walked into the room.

"I wonder if I did anything to offend the girl...my, I would like to invite her to tea again. She looks awfully like Hinata." Hiashi said, trailing off into his own little world. Hanabi sighed. Hiashi was sick with something, she was sure, but the doctors just said that it was old age and stress. After all, he had watched his daughter kill her lover, lost her to his trusted nephew, and then was removed as the clan leader later that same week.

Hanabi thought back to that time of chaos, and had to fight another sobbing fit.

Hinata slowly dragged her feet along the ground, not knowing or caring where she ended up. She was too deep in her thoughts. It wasn't untill she tripped on a loose stone that she snapped out of her thoughts.

Looking up, as she was face down on the ground, Hinata saw that she had walked to the cenograph. Clambering to her feet, she stumbled the few feet that separated her from the actual stone. Sitting down beside it, Hinata ran her fingers over Naruto's name, and then her own.

"Why...? Why did you have to leave me? It's...It's not fair!" almost yelling the last part, Hinata looked around to make sure that no one was around, before focusing back on the cenograph.

Hinata stared the stone for a long time before her legs started to protest from lack of movement. With a dejected sigh, Hinata sat down with her back to the stone and shook her legs out. Wincing when it resulted in a major case of pins and needles.

Shivering slightly, Hinata wished that she had brought her thicker jacket. The one she was wearing was very thin, and practically useless for a November night. Wrapping her arms around herself, and fighting a yawn, she mentally decided to stay a few minutes longer before leaving to her small and warm apartment.

Hinata stretched her arm out and looked up at the sky. The first pink streaks of the sun were starting to show, and the early birds were chirping.

Wait, sun? Hinata blinked and looked around. She must have fallen asleep.

"Hinata-chan?" a voice said, coming from the path she had come from earlier. Hinata snapped her head up and saw that a man in a jounin outfit with grey hair and a mask covering his face.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata said, eyeing his orange book. Kakashi put his book away and walked up to Hinata, and offered her a hand. Hinata took it and Kakashi hoisted her up.

"Isn't it a little cold out to be spending the night at the cenograph?" He said, his only visable brow lifting in suspicion. Hinata blushed slightly and turned to the cenograph.

"I..er..." Hinata started, surprising herself by stuttering. Kakashi made a movement that gestured her to finish and Hinata sighed.

"I had tea with Hanabi yesturday. Mistake. _That man_ walked in." Hinata said, her fisted hands tightened even more.

"You're Otou-sama?" Kakashi confirmed. Hinata nodded. "Ah." He said, after a moment.

Kakashi and Hinata stood together staring at the memorial stone for a while before Hinata broke the silence.

"What time is it?" She said, rubbing her arms. Kakashi looked at the sun breifly and said,

"After 6, before 7. Maybe around 6:30." Hinata nodded in response.

Hinata sensed the hesitation in Kakashi a few seconds before he spoke again.

"I take it you are here to be comforted by Naruto's spirit." Hinata nodded and sniffled quietly.

"A-ano...Kakashi-sensei, who are you here for? And don't you have a genin team to test?" Hinata said, glad that the subject changed off of Naruto.

"Mmm. My teammates, Obito and Rin-chan. I visit them everymorning. It's a secret, so don't tell anyone, but that's why I am late all the time. I'm usually here, getting lost on the road of life." Hinata nodded, glad to be a confidante.

"Hinata-chan, would you like to watch the bell test? No doubt Naruto told you all about it, but I thought you might be intrested in how your son is faring." Hinata grinned.

"I'de love to. What are the chances of them failing?" she said, still facing the cenograph.

"Ha, not very high. It seemed yesturday that all three were already friends, or fast on the way of becoming." Kakashi's eye looked up towards the sky again, before saying,

"Well I suppose we've kept them waiting long enough.

* * *

"Uggh, where is Kakashi-sensei? He's 2 hours late!" Sasami complained. Kouden joined in her rantings and preachings while Shiro just sat on the railing smirking. He was the only one who didn't jump ten feet into the air when Kakashi appeared in front of them in a swirl of smoke and leaves.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Both Sasami and Kouden screamed at the same time.

"Heheh, sorry, got lost on the road to life." Kakashi said, scratching the back of his head.

"Liar!" Sasami said, almost shouting. Kouden grunted. His green eyes widened when he saw the figure behind Kakashi.

"Kasumi-nechan? What are you doing here?" He said, while Hinata was coughing from the overuse of smoke bombs.

"Ah, I'm-cough- supervising Kakashi-san today." Hinata said, delighted at the lie that came off the top of her head.

"Supervising? What did Kakashi-sensei do?" Shiro said, Hinata directed her gaze on the older boy.

"Kakashi-san just quit ANBU for the second time. I'm here to make sure that he's really doing what he said he was going to do. Don't mind me, I'll just be watching." A sinister smile and a cold gaze later, Shiro was shuddering and trying to hide behind Sasami without being too obvious.

Kouden made a humming noise before speaking again.

"So what, are you like ANBU yourself? I mean, who else would supervise Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata turned her gaze to her blonde son. The corner of her mouth twitching.

"Yea...something like that. Anyway, just go and pass the test." Hinata said, gesturing them all to go away, as she used to chakra to leap on top of the pole she had been leaning against. Crossing her legs, she propped her head up on her hands.

Scratching the back of his head, Kakashi grinned under his mask and turned back to his new students.

"Good, now that that's out of the way, I'll explain the rules of this test. You have until noon to take these bells," Kakshi produced a pair of silver bells, "away from me. The one who doesnt get a bell, doesnt get a lunch." at them mention of food, Sasami and Shiro's stomachs both growled. Kouden just blinked. He followed Sakura's advice and stuffed his face at breakfast. Sasami narrowed her brown eyes at him.

"If you want a bell, you have to attack like you want to kill me, no holding back. Ok, when I say go..." Kakashi said, holding his arm out in front of him. Bringing it down, he gave the signal and his three students lept away into the bushes.

_Thik, thik, thik-_"Gah! _Kasumi-chan_ stop throwing rocks at me or I'll chidori your ass, regardless of your status." Kakashi said, whirling around angrily at the black haired woman watching him from the pole. Hinata just giggled before sitting back and activating her byakugan. Not a second later, she had her eyes focused on her son.

"Gah, stupid branch, now I'm gonna have to get Tenten-ne-chan to sew it!" Kouden said, fingering a new hole in his orange hoodie. A rustle from behind him, made Kouden swivel around into a basic jyuuken stance.

Kouden sighed in releif as he saw that it was his pink haired friend. She had a sly look on her face as she made her way over to Kouden.

"Kouden, what are we gonna do? How do you suppose we can get those bells away from him?" She whispered. Kouden put his hand on his chin, and said,

"We need to find Shiro first. I have a plan."

"Too late. Found you first." a voice from behind Sasami said. Once again, stepping into jyuuken, he noted that Sasami stepped into her odd pressure point stance. Both children visably relaxed when their third teammate stepped into veiw.

"Kami-sama! Shiro-kun, don't scare us like that!" Sasami said.

"Ok, you guys, I paid a visit to Sakura-ne-chan yesturday, and when I told her that we had to do the test today, she told me, teamwork. She said even if we fail to get bells, if we work as a team, we pass. So lets just synchronize our moves, and take him on all at once." Kouden said, crouching to the ground, and sketched a rough stick figure of Kakashi in the dirt.

"Ha. I think you have another winning team here, Kakashi-sensei." Hinata said, releasing her chakra, Kakashi waited untill the last vein calmed down before bothering to speak.

"Mmm? Why do you say that?"

"All three of them are sitting together, planning on ambushing you as a team. I caught a bit of what Kouden said, by reading his lips, and it seems that Sakura-san told him something." Kakashi coughed and pulled out his orange book. Hinata rolled her eyes and flicked another pebble at Kakashi, and giggled at the sudden killer intent that rolled off the older man.

Ten minutes passed before Kouden gave the signal for his teammates to attack. A thick fog rolled in and covered the clearing that Kakashi was standing in. Kakashi just looked around and stuck his book in his pocket, sighing.

Kouden sat beside Shiro, who was finishing the long series of seals required to produce the fog, and watched as Sasami crept as low to the ground as she could, setting up a series of wire traps connected via kunai.

When Shiro finished, he let his hands drop to the ground, and started to pant slightly.

"You ok? That looked like it took alot of chakra." Kouden whispered. Shiro just raised his hand and said,

"Just give me a minute, and I'll be fine. I'm just glad it worked. I only started to get it right last week." Kouden nodded, and waited as Sasami placed the last few Kunai, and crept over to their hiding place.

"Traps are ready, are we?" She said, whispering so low, Kouden had to read her lips. He looked at Shiro, who nodded.

"Ok, form one. Shiro, you do the genjutsu, and Sasami, you poke his legs with what ever you do. I got his arms." Both genin nodded and jumped up out of his sight.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was waiting in the middled of the mist. His eye was half closed with boredom, and occasional annoyance as Hinata continued to flick pebbles at him. He heard her giggle everytime he let out killer intent, and had finally just gave up.

_Crack!_ Kakashi perked up. That wasn't Hinata. The small noise came from his right, and Kakashi fell into a basic taijutsu stance as he saw moving in the mist. Cracking a grin, he nearly sighed at their attempt to sneak up on him.

"Yaaaww!" The figure said, bursting out of the mist. He had bright blonde hair, and green eyes that seemed paler than the day before.

"Way to be quiet, Kouden-kun." Kakashi said, but his grin slipped as he saw the still grinning blonde flick his fingers. Instantly, he was surrounded by at least 20 more blondes.

"Buunshin? Well, that will be easy to take care of." Kakashi said, as he rushed one. Slicing it with a kunai from his back pouch, the buunshin didn't even dodge.

But instead of the usual puff of smoke that accompanied killing these fakes, Kakashi found that his hand was stuck inside of it. The orange of his hoodie started to...leak, for lack of a better word, onto Kakashi, giving the appearance of it swallowing him.

Kakashi's frow burrowed as he ripped his arm free of the unusual buunshin, splattering orange on the ground and the front of his green flak vest. Spinning around to face the other advancing Kouden copies, he saw that they were all advancing on him, evil grins plastered across their faces.

Each one, as Kakashi soon found out, was stickier than the last, and Kakashi soon found himself fending three of them off, while trying to throw a 4th one off of his back. A 5th one, kicked his ankle out, and Kakashi was forced to his knee, when he felt a light poke on the back of his calf. And then another one on his left elbow. Frantically looking around, Kakashi saw that the only things there were the sticky buunshins, and they weren't near the poked places.

More poking ensued as a now struggling Kakashi whirled around. Raising his hands to his chest, he found that he had to struggle to get them up, and that his legs felt like jelly.

"Kai!" He yelled with more force that he intended. A _plik_ sound later, and Kakashi felt the weak winter sun on his eyelids.

Opening them, he saw his three student infront of him. Shiro was on his knees, head down, and visably panting. Kouden was standing, barely, and Sasami was right beside him. Looking better than both her companions. But what made Kakashi open his eye as wide as it would go, was that in both Shiro and Sasami's hand, held a bell.

Looking at his waist, he patted it to make sure they were really gone. Looking back up, Sasami and Kouden sported a large grin.

_Eeeeeeeeee!_ The buzzer for noon went off and Kouden promptly sat down.

"Wow." A voice said, from over Kakashi's shoulder. Turning back, Kakashi saw Hinata smirking, in her hand held a handful of pebbles, just wanting to be thrown at Kakashi_  
_

* * *

_All and All, my Kouden-kun ended up tied to log. He after all, didn't get a bell, but only after throwing a hissy fit, did Kakashi-sensei congradulate them on getting a bell. There were the only team to ever do so. Me and Kakashi watched from a nearby tree as Shiro and Sasami both tried to feed him, and then proceed to jump ten feet in the air when Kakashi-sensei rushed at them, just to tell them they all passed._

_Heh heh, Sasami was so happy, she kissed Kouden right on the lips, and then nearly fainted as her face turned 8 shades of red. I fell out of the nearby tree laughing at my struggling son. Shiro ended up carrying her back to the town, as a still blushing Kouden followed._

_Kakashi-sensei had a few select words with me about the pebbles, before he poofed away, and I just laughed as I walked home to get ready for work. Oh Naruto, you would be so proud of your son. I miss you so much. My heart is still as raw as the day you left, but I've decided that I have a few places to see, and a few things to do before I join you. _

_Love, Uzumaki Hinata._

Placing her almost full diary down, Hinata tapped the edge of her pencil against her lip, and looked at the clock. Hinata's eyes widened. It was ten to 5, she was going to be late for work!

"Wahh!" She said, throwing her jacket on, Hinata decided to risk roof jumping today, as it would take 20 minutes to run through the city.

After avoiding most people, Hinata arrived quietly in the alleyway beside the Barbeque place. Taking a few seconds to straighten her hair, Hinata walked into the restaurant and glanced at the clock. She was a minute late.

"Konban wa, Kasumi-san!" Her friend and co-worker called out.

"Ah! Kasumi-san! How are you?" Another voice called, this time from a table. It was Ino, but instead of being with her team, she was with Sakura. Slipping her apron over head behind the counter, Hinata replied,

"Ah! Ino-san, Sakura-san, I'm fine. How are you?" Grabbing a notebook she approached their table.

"Oh, I'm fine. And...can I get a plate of umm...Kami-sama, just make it a peice of cheesecake. Ugh, I hope I'm not pregnant again." Ino said, sliding her chin to the table. Hinata grinned and wrote her order down.

"And what would you like?" She said to Sakura. Sakura looked at Ino before saying,

"Uh...the same. But can you put a few pickles on the side? Oh! Kasumi-san! Has Ino blabbed yet? I'm expecting!" she said, patting her flat stomach. Hinata wrote down her order and said,

"Oh! My! Congradulations to both you and Uchiha-san." Hinata bowed slightly before dropping her paper off in the kitchen, and loading her arms full of other orders.

3 hours later found Sakura and Ino still talking at their table, ordering the occasional drink, non alcholic on Sakura's case, and Hinata was sitting at a table in the corner, taking a 5 minute break, sipping on a milkshake.

"Hmm...Sakura...did you ever notice something about Ka...Kasumi-san!" Ino said, slurring her words almost unnoticably. Sakura frowned and said,

"No...not really, I heard that she is close friends with Neji-san though." Ino sighed and stole another glance at Hinata, who was busy leafing through the dessert flier.

"You remember that girl we told Naruto's story to? The one that Sasuke scared away? Did we ever find her?" Sakura paused a second before answering.

"Uh...yea, I think. And no, I dont think we ever found her. Why?"

"She acted like Kasumi-san acts sometimes. Hmm...Hey, Sakura, should I try to get into Kasumi's mind?" Ino said, grinning evily on the table.

"Ino! That's an invasion of privacy! Don't do it!" Sakura said, her fist twitching.

"Oh? Oh! I can't hear you! What was that? Oh! Oh no! My hand is slipping into the seals! There!" Ino said, as Sakura flustered.

_Thunk._ Ino's head hit the table, and made the glasses rattle as Sakura sighed very loudly.

Hinata's eyes were drawn to a dull thunk coming from Ino's table as she saw that her friend had passed out. _Probably too much to drin--_ Hinata's thought was cut off as she lost conciousness.

Floating in the dark nothingness, Ino's subconcious looked around.

_Her mind. I need to see her memories!_ Ino thought. The void flickered and Ino landed on her butt in a large library. The lighting was dimmed, and the walls were lined with rows of scrolls.

"Ah! I haven't seen a library-like mind yet!" Ino exclaimed. All of the minds Ino had been in, while she was picking through their memories, had a look to them that represented them. Sakura's, for example, was a large room with mirrors, and her memories were small photos hastily taped to the walls, whereas Shikamaru's mind was a large office, and his memories were files in filing cabinets. Ino had laughed when she first went into his mind. They were alphabetically ordered too.

Walking up to one, Ino ran her finger over one of the scrolls before pulling it out. Opening it, Ino saw that instead of writing, she found herself looking through the eyes of 'Kasumi'.

_Waking up, Kasumi pushed the blanket off of her. Looking out the gigantic window that covered her wall, Kasumi sighed. She grabbed an apple and quickly got dressed. Putting a jacket on, Kasumi opened her door and left._

"No. That one is too recent." Ino said, as she checked the tag that was hanging off the end.

"Ah, this was yesturday. Let's see, we need, years, not days." Ino said aloud. Walking to the end of the row, Ino saw that the shelves had dates written on them. She was looking in this past year, she needed a few years back.

Walking past 6 shelves, Ino picked up a random scroll and opened it.

_"Kaa-san, look! I got my eyes to work!" A small voice said. The view turned towards the voice and revealed that it belonged to a small blonde boy. His large pale eyes were looking up, seemingly at Ino, but the veins that had popped out all around them, made the little boy look like a killer. Ino shuddered._

_"Kou-chan! I'm so proud, I'm sure your Otou-sama would be very happy too!" the voice that Ino identified as Kasumi said._

The memory ended, and left Ino standing there, holding the scroll with a confused look on her face. That little boy had the byakugan! Was Kasumi's deceased husband a Hyuuga?

Ino grabbed another scroll, but it only showed Kasumi picking vegtables. Putting the scroll back, Ino walked down the aisle again, reading the years off as she passed them.

"Hmm. This is...11 years ago. Lets try here." randomly plucking a scroll, Ino glanced at the tag. It was from august. Opening the scroll, Ino hoped to see something intresting.

_The veiw looked down at her hands, which where atop a large belly. She felt a kick and squealed quietly. Rubbing her belly a little bit, the veiw looked up into a mirror. A smile graced the face of a pretty white eyed, blue haired girl._

_Tonk._ Ino dropped the scroll.

"Oh. Oh Kami-sama. This can't be right! This...this is...Hinata! Ahhh..." Ino finally got out as her mind blanked. Ino picked up the scroll and placed it back. Walking down the row, she almost made it to the end, when a bright red scroll caught her eyes.

Completely forgetting that she was in her dead friend's mind, Ino picked up the scroll, which was strangely warm to the touch, and opened it.

_"You stupid slut! You whore! I can't beleive this!" A tall man with dark hair yelled, his pale eyes were surrounded by veins, and the killer intent that leaked off him tried to suffocate Ino._

_"Otou-sama, please! You didn't let me explain!" A voice, Hinata, said, raising her hands to defend against the mind numbing slap she was about to receive._

_"It's bad enough that you were even seeing that...that...That DEMON! And now this?" Hiashi yelled. Hinata cringed. Wiping the tears that had fallen down her face, Hinata stood up tall._

_"I won't have it! I'm tired of you calling Naruto-kun a demon! What did he ever do to you!" Hinata yelled, her voice pathetically small. Hiashi narrowed his white eyes._

_"You whore!" He yelled, and using jyuuken, aimed a strike at her stomach. Hinata saw this coming, but unable to get out the way, moved so it hit her shoulder. Hinata cried out in pain as she stumbled backwards off the porch-like pathway that ran around her house, onto her back in the snow._

_"Otou-sama...please..." Hinata said, holding her shoulder._

_"Get up." Hiashi said, stepping off the porch into the snow, a few feet from where Hinata was lying. Hinata got up and faced her father. Ready to take the jyuuken stance, even though she knew she had no chance against her father._

_"You should have been marked a branch member at birth. You are weak, useless, and have no right to the title as heir. Die." Hiashi said, and pulling his wakizashi(short version of the katana) out from its sheath at his belt. Hinata eyes widened as she saw her father reinforce it was chakra._

_Hinata shut her eyes tight. No use trying to move, no matter where he hit her, this jyuuken blade would be deadly. Hinata's last thought was that she wished she could had said good bye to Naruto, one last time._

_Ino's hands were shaking with anger and anticipation. The scroll was blank, but she heard a grunt._

_Hinata's eyes stayed closed for a few seconds more until she heard her name._

_"Hi...nata...ch-chan..." Hinata's eyes flew open, and she almost threw up. There, standing right infront of her, was Naruto. He had his hands on her shoulders, and his blue eyes were wide. His mouth was curved in a grin. Hinata glanced down. Sticking a full inch out of his chest, was the tip of Hiashi's wakazashi. _

_Naruto's entire front was covered in blood. Letting out a small sqeak, Naruto's weight suddenly pressed down onto her, as Hiashi pulled the blade out of Naruto. Smirking, He stepped back and watched his daughter._

_"Na-naruto-kun?" Hinata said, shaking him slightly. She took a step back, and slipped in the snow. Naruto slid down out of her arms, and onto the now red stained snow._

_Hinata looked at her hand and saw that it was red. She fell to her knees, and stared at her other hand, red too. Her eyes were unfocused as she shook the body of her blonde boyfriend._

_"Naruto-kun! Naruto! Naruto!!!" she yelled. Stopping to wipe the tears from her face, Hinata saw that it was snowing. She watched a snowflake slowly drift down, and land on Naruto's cheek. His usually bright blue eyes, already starting to dull. _

_Hinata's hands started to shake. She looked at her father, who was still staring at her, a bloodly smirk decorated his face._

_"YAAAAAAAAAAA--" _

Ino threw the scroll away from her, and performed the seals to release her mind. When Ino next opened her eyes the first thing she saw was Sakura's pink hair.

Ino's mind rushed back at her, and with only a slight twitch as a warning, Ino scrambled to the washroom as fast as she could, barely making it to a stall before she threw up.

* * *

End Chapter 12

The mystery has been solved!

Sorry for not updating thursday, I was on a vacation and forgot to email myself the files.

But I will be updating every monday and thursday until further notice.

Thanks for reading, and to those who reveiw, thanks for reveiwing.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

* * *

"Ino!" Sakura said, as she burst into the bathroom, only to find her blonde friend sobbing against the tiled wall. A quick glance at the stalls showed Sakura that Ino had thrown up. Wrinkling her nose, Sakura washed most of the mess with a quick and small suiton jutsu.

Ino was still sobbing like she had lost her best friend, when Sakura placed her hand on Ino's shoulder. Ino looked at Sakura with her puffy eyes, and crawled back to the bathroom stall to throw up again. Sakura felt helpless, so she held back Ino's bangs.

"Ino, what's wrong?! You better not be pregnant!" Sakura said, trying to make Ino laugh. It just made her sob harder. Sakura frowned and shut up, resorting to holding back Ino's hair.

* * *

"Ughh...my head." Hinata said, as she sat up, holding her hand to her forehead.

"I must have fallen asleep." Hinata glanced around and saw that Sakura and Ino had left. Hinata frowned.

"How long was I out?" Getting up she walked back to the bar, and tried to rid herself of the oncoming headache, and the feeling that she had been violated.

"Yume, how long was I gone?" Hinata said to her coworker as she passed her to get her orders. Yume looked at her, and then the clock before saying,

"Neh, almost ten minutes. Did you see Ino-san?" Hinata frowned.

"No...what happened?" Yume wrinkled her small nose and said,

"What? She hit her head on the table, and then just darted into the washroom like the world was going to end. Sakura-san rushed after her too." Yume paused before continuing.

"I think she might be pregnant. Her and Sakura-san were talking about it before she hit her head."

Hinata clutched her head.

"Ah, Kasumi, what's wrong?" Yume asked. Hinata waved her hand.

"Ah, nothing. Just a headache. It will go away." Yume nodded and Hinata picked up her order. Placing the plates on the appropriate table, Hinata turned around to head back to the counter when the door to the woman's washroom opened. Ino, being supported by Sakura walked out. Ino's face looked like it had been doused with water, and her eyes were red and puffy. Sakura looked worried, but was concentrating on helping Ino walk steady.

Ino looked up, straight into Hinata's fake green eyes. Her own aqua ones widened as her face turned into one of extreme sadness, and anger. Pointing a finger at Hinata, Ino said, In barely more than a whisper,

"I need to talk to you about your dead husband. Dear friend of mine." Hinata dropped her tray, and Sakura started to scold Ino about being rude.

Hinata picked up her tray and scurried to Yume.

"Ahh, Yume, I'ts 8, the store closes in an hour, and my headache has gotta really bad, and I'm starting to feel nauseus...Do you mind if I just head home now?" Yume looked up and said,

"Ahh! No problem. Just get better soon. Go see if Sakura-san has anything she can give you." Hinata nodded and took her apron off.

Turning around she saw Ino glaring at her and her headache got worse.

"Sakura, take me home. I'm not feeling well...Kasumi-san, would you like to join us? It's enroute to your apartment, isn't it?" Ino said, draggin out Hinata's fake name.

"Uh...Sure, I'de love to, I just got off my shift now. Sakura-san, do you have any pills that helps a headache? I have a really bad one." Hinata said, helping Ino out the door.

"Yea! Here, I always carry these. Ino gets alot of headaches." Sakura said, as she handed Hinata a small light blue pill. Hinata popped it in her mouth and swallowed. Within 5 minutes Hinata's head disapeared, and she thanked Sakura.

"Ok, uh, I have to get home to Oshi-chan and Sasuke. I'll see you in a bit, Ino. Thanks for the help, Kasumi-san." Sakura said, as they reached Ino's rather large house. When Sakura turned the corner, Ino, still clutching her stomach, grabbed onto Hinata's arm and dragged her inside.

"Ah, welcome home, Ino. Oh...Who's this?" Sai said from the first room on the left. Ino paused before answering.

"Ahh...Sai, this is Kasumi. She works at the barbeque, remember?" Sai frowned for a second, before he said,

"Oh! I'm sorry, I remember now. Well, It's nice to see you again, Kasumi-san." Hinata bowed her head before looking at Ino, who in turn just squeezed her arm tighter.

"Sai...I need to talk to Kasumi alone, probably for a few hours. It's a very important issue. Can you make sure that Nazo or Inoshi-chan don't bother us?" Sai nodded, and went back to his sketch.

"Ahh...Ino-san, really, I must insist that I leave. I have an...appointment!" Hinata said, as Ino started to drag her towards a door. Ino just turned and looked at her. The sadness almost overruled the anger in her eyes. Hinata clammed up and Ino opened the door, reavealing steps that led to a basement.

Ino pushed Hinata slightly so that she would go down the stairs, and shut the door after her.

The base ment was lit by two bare bulbs, and the furniture consisted of four chairs and a table. It looked oddly like an interrogation table.

Standing at the base of the stairs, Ino brushed past her, and positioned herself right in front of Hinata. Hinata eyed her warily, as Ino seemed to judge her.

Suddenly, Ino rushed at Hinata, who lifted her arms up in a feeble attempt to fend her off. Hinata stopped when she felt that the arms were around her shoulders, instead of her neck. She felt Ino's head pressed up against her cheek.

"Hinata...Kami-sama, Hinata! I can't beleive you're alive! We missed you so much, so much! Do you hear me?! Why did you make us go through that! We had a funeral, your name is on the memorial, Hinata! Why?! Why!" Ino yelled, her voiced switching from sad tones, to angry tones.

Hinata's mouth was dry as she slowly pried herself from Ino's arms. She walked over to the table and sat down on a wobbly chair. Carefully, as to not scratch her sensitive eyes, Hinata removed her green contacts, and blinked. Staring at Ino with her pale eyes. Ino just stared at her eyes. Calmy, if not a bit wobbly, walking to a chair across from her, and sitting down.

"Well...I take it my head ache was you delving into my mind. Care to tell me what you saw." Hinata said, making her voice as flat as she could. Ino looked at her, and said,

"I saw you in your apartment here, I saw the first time...Woah! You have a kid! Care to explain?" Hinata's eyes narrowed and Ino sat back.

"Sorry, umm, I saw the first time your kid used byakugan, I saw you picking vegtables, and...I saw...oh kami..." Ino said, trailing off, looking at Hinata.

"What! What did you see?" Ino paled.

"Naruto's death. That will haunt me forever. Oh Hinata. Hinata, Hinata..." Hinata paled.

"I swear, I'll kill Hiashi myself. That bastard! He totally lied to us!" Ino said, the colour in her face returning, and her fist clenched tight.

"He's sick. Ino, _that man_ is sick. He can't even keep his attention on one thing long enough to understand it. Hanabi-chan told me." Ino let her fist drop.

"Hinata, tell me now. Why did Neji-san say you were dead? Why shouldn't I go running in streets, telling everyone I see?" Hinata paled this time and said, grabbing hold of Ino's hand.

"Dont. Please. For my son's sake, I was the heir to that entire clan. He has more right to the title than Hanabi does, but he doesn't know that. I dont want him involved in that, maybe when he is older, but not now, please. Ino, please." Hinata said, her white eyes shining in the poor light.

"Fine, but can you tell me who your son is?" Hinata narrowed her eyes at Ino.

"I'll give you a hint. He looks like his father. Alot like his father." Ino didn't say anything for a second before saying,

"Ohhhhhhhh, duh. That seemed a little obvious." Ino scrunched her nose up. "Ewe, you slept with Naruto." Hinata blushed and shot her a glare. Ino laughed.

"Ohh...It's so good to have you back. Does our Kouden-kun know that Naruto is his Tou-chan?" Ino asked, wiping a laughter tear from her eye.

"Yea, why do you think he obsesses over the legends?" Ino made an 'o' with her mouth, and said,

"So...besides me, and obviously Neji, who knows you still live among us?" Hinata put a finger to her mouth and said,

"Uh, Neji-ni-san, Shikamaru-san, and Kakashi-sensei. I've been pretty good with the whole, not letting anyone figure out my secret identity." Hinata shot a glare at Ino and laughed.

"Ah! Shikamaru knew! Not cool. He is so gonna get it when he gets back from Suna." Ino said, clenching her fist.

A minute of silence followed before Ino asked,

"Oh! Uh, a few years ago, in that refuge village, was that you using the horrible henge, and easily read face?" Hinata blushed, and nodded.

"Sasuke-san scared me so much, I almost dropped it." Ino laughed nervously, and glanced at the clock on the wall beside her.

"Ah! It's after ten! I hope Sai put Nazo to bed before 9. Sometimes, that child...He's too much like me. Hopefully Inoshi-chan get's Sai's personality." Hinata smiled.

"Lucky, I only wish Kouden had my personality. It seems he's shy when you first talk to him, but he's normally really really loud. Just like his father." Hinata sighed.

"Well, I should probably go. I have to visit Neji-ni-san tomorrow anyway. Talking to someone has taken a load off of my chest. Thank you Ino..." Hinata said, as she stood up and hugged her blond friend. Ino hugged her back hard and said,

"Im glad I dont have to be sad anymore. Maybe one day you'll come back to us. I can hope." Hinata smiled a sad smile, and let her self out of Ino's house. Waving at Sai on her way out.

* * *

"Did you put Nazo-kun to bed, Sai?" Ino said, walking through the entrance into the sitting room where Sai was still drawing.

"Yea, I did. Shi-chan was sleeping on the floor, and Nazo was already dozing off." Sai said. Putting his sketch down. Ino sat down beside him, and picked his sketch up.

It was a picture of a woman, her hair was unbound and caught in the wind. The woman was sitting on a rock, her back facing the veiwer. A screw driver hung from her belt. Ino smiled.

"It's beautiful...What are you gonna call it?" Sai grinned, very Naruto-like, and said,

"The Killer Pig." Ino's eye twitched and she thumped her husband on the head.

* * *

Sitting in her apartment, Hinata twiddled with the bells that were attached to a yellowed scroll. Behind it, a small pile of scrolls were piled in a neat pyramid. Over the years Hinata had gone back to the cabin, and took all her belongings back to her apartment in Konoha.

Laying back onto her pallet, Hinata clutched the scroll, and smiled at the calming dinging sounds.

_"Here." Naruto said, shoving a small box into Hinata's hands. Hinata face turned a vibrant red as she stuttered out a thank you. Opening the box, she saw two bells, tied together with a blue ribbon. Looking up at Naruto, the blonde blinked before answering her questioning stare._

_"Uh...Those are the uh, the bells from my bell test. When I first became a genin." He said, grinning and scratching the back of his head. Hinata blushed again and said, _

_"D-demo...Naruto-k-kun...I thought...I though t-that you s-said that you d-didn't get a bell..." Trailing off, Hinata brought her hands together and pushed her index fingers together. Avoiding his blue gaze, Hinata looked down to her left._

_"Aha, you're right! You're a good listener. Uh, Sakura-chan gave me those two this year for my birthday. Ringing them always made me calm, and I noticed that you seemed to be tense, so I thought that you might need them...If you dont like them, I can go and get something else...It's not everyday you turn 16..." Naruto said, a slight dusting of rose graced his cheeks._

_"Ah! No, no! I l-love them!" Hinata nearly shouted. Which was still about as loud as her normal talking voice. Hinata flicked one of the bells and smiled at the dinging noise. Looking up at Hinata, she saw that her crush was smiling as well."_

_"Hey! Naruto-teme! Stop hogging my future girlfriend! We have a party to throw!" Hinata didn't have to look at the voice that yelled from across the courtyard in Sakura's back yard to know that it was Kiba. She just blushed so hard she thought she was going to faint. _

_Naruto on the other hand, started yelling obscenities at Kiba, and proceeded to tell him that Hinata wasn't anyone's posession. He then grabbed Hinata around the shoulder, and held her close. _

_Hinata wasn't sure what was going on, only that she could feel every muscle on Naruto's side, and after the strain of holding back a large nosebleed, she finally slipped into a blissful unconciousness._

"Mmm..." Hinata hummed, before unrolling the scroll. Reading the first entry in the journal-like scroll, Hinata unrolled it untill she hit the end of the writings. Taking out her pen, she tapped her lip, and wrote a short paragraph on Kouden's feat.

Blowing on the scroll to dry the ink, Hinata read over her entry, and rerolled the scroll up. Tying it with the blue ribbon and bells, she placed it back onto the pile of scrolls, before laying down the rest.

She dreamt of being chased through a maze by a giant boar.

* * *

"Ow!" A voice yelled in the small Hyuuga household. Tenten frowned and said,

"Well it wouldn't hurt if you _just held still_!" She was currently trying to apply the cream Sakura had given her, to Kouden's gash.

_"Here, put this on Kouden-kun's wound every night around this time, untill it heals fully. Bandage it too." Tenten nodded as Sakura gave her the ointment, and then after looking around her shop, finally left._

"Kou-ni-chan, stop being such a baby!" A girl who looked like a miniature version of Tenten, except for her white eyes, which held great amounts of amusement, all directed at Kouden. Kouden narrowed his own green eyes, and stuck his tongue out. Patting his leg, Tenten sat back and said,

"There, all done." Grinning, she stood and walked over to the small sink in the kitchen and washed her hands. Kouden sighed.

"Ka-chan, are you gonna teach me how to use my Kama?" Tenten sighed, glancing at the two mini scythes she had bought her step-son. Their blades gleamed in the light of the sunset, sending orange rays onto the ceiling.

"Yea...on my day's off. If you want extra training, ask Kakashi-sensei if he knows anyone who uses Kama." Tenten dried her hands, and started to make dinner.

"Ka-chan, can I spend the night at Noneko-nechan's house?" Aiko said, standing up from her seat, and 'accidentally' hitting her elder brother in the head with her arm. Kouden narrowed his eyes and frowned, still rubbing his leg. Tenten raised her hand, making a waving motion and said,

"Yea yea, are you staying for dinner?" Aiko paused and said,

"No...we wanted to spar, so I better get there before dark." Tenten nodded slowly, and continued to chop up various vegtables.

Aiko ran upstairs and shifted her shoji screen open. Grabbing her bag, she darted back down the stairs and out the door. A few moments of Tenten chopping before Kouden piped up.

"You know, she's not gonna spar. She wants to ogle Noneko's cousin." Tenten turned around to see that her step-son's face held a grin that looked identical to Naruto's after he had pulled a fantastic stunt.

"What a-" Tenten started, but was cut off as the front door opened to reveal a slightly beat up Neji.

"Tadaima!" He said half-heartedly. Taking his sandals and mask off, Neji sat down beside Kouden, at the small table.

"Woah! What happened?" Kouden said, eyeing the hastily stitched cut on Neji's brow.

"Heh, nasty fight with a bunch of Iwa nin's trying to sneak across the border again. One of them got me with a stray kunai." Neji grinned at Kouden before looking at Tenten. He flinched when saw her face.

Tenten's deep brown eyes were watering, and on the brink of tears. Without warning she launched into Neji.

"You've been gone for three days! Why didn't you send a message! Usually you send one in the morning if you are going to be long...I thought you had..." Tenten didn't get to say the last word as she dissolved into a mess of tears and carrots, all over Neji's bloodstained white ANBU uniform.

Neji's eyes were wide as he awkwardly patted Tenten's back.

"Sorry...I was in combat untill late this morning, and I fell asleep trying to recover chakra...Ah... Don't cry Tenten..." He said, as Kouden's lungs silently imploded from the pressure of trying not to laugh at the look on Neji's face. Neji crinkled his nose as he flicked his hand at Kouden, who had finally laughed, and watched the boy struggled to get up and finish chopping carrots.

Dinner was quiet, as Kouden had stopped trying to break Tenten's angry stare at Neji. Neji dropped his chopsticks three times because of the killer intent rolling off of his wife.

After Kouden finished eating, he took the dishes from the table, and washed them all. Leaving them to dry, he glanced at the clock on the wall beside the window.

"Ne...Ka-chan, can Sasami-chan stay the night?" Tenten just waved her hand, still staring at Neji, daring him to get up from his sitting position. Kouden eyed Tenten, but shrugged as he slipped his sandals on and jogged to his pink haired teammate's small house.

Knocking on the grey door, Kouden listened to the pitter patter of feet running down the stairs. The door opened up to reveal a Sasami clothed in a long tee shirt, and apparently nothing else. Motioning for Kouden to come in, she shut the door behind him and put her fists on her hips.

"Yes? Can I help you?" She said. Kouden opened his mouth, but instead of words, only air came out. Pointedly looking down at Sasami's legs, he watched in distant amusement as she turned 8 shades of red.

Squeaking, Sasami pushed, with a tad of chakra, passed Kouden and rushed up her stairs. Kouden flew a feet before his face broke his fall on a rather soft rug. Sitting up and rubbing his cheek, he laid back and waited for Sasami to return.

Returning to her fallen friend, Sasami now sported a pair of very baggy black pants. Kouden suspected that they belonged to her father. Kouden didn't sit up, but rather put his arms under his head and said,

"So. You wanna come over? We can watch Tenten-ne-chan beat up Neji-ni-san for free. I'll even supply the popcorn." Sasami narrowed her eyes and said,

"Why? What did he do this time?" Kouden grinned, his eyes closing.

"If you come, you will see." Sasami lifted a brow. Turning to the small end table behind her, she scribbled a note on a convieniently placed notepad. Grabbing Kouden's hand, and roughly hauling him to his feet, she grinned and said,

"Well. Let's go! Can't miss this!" Kouden grinned even wider, and led his pink haired friend back to his house.

So you can imagine their dismay and disapointment when the two genin walked into Kouden's small house, to find that Tenten was not infact savagly beating Neji, but instead, savagly molesting his face with her own.

Kouden nearly cried at the onslaught of nightmares he was sure he was going to get for the rest of his life. Sasami just blushed as a quick flash in her mind brought on an image of doing that to Kouden.

* * *

End chapter 13 

That ending was so lame. Thanks for all the reveiws I've gotten, they make me really happy!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14

* * *

**

Flicking her fire-red hair back, Tatari caught it skillfully with her other hand and gracefully tied it up so it sat high on her head. Swiveling her head from side to side and gazing into the dirty mirror, Tatari sighed and smoothed the few stray hairs her ribbon hadn't caught. 

Rising from her seat on an uncomfortable bench seat, Tatari spied her long black cloak and threw it around her shoulders. The door to the cramped room opened as Tatari pinned the front of her cloak, and closed just as she fastened the last pin.

"Are you ready?" The man who had just entered the room said. Tatari nodded and grabbed a large sand coloured bag. Handing it to her partner, he sighed and ran his hand through his tan coloured hair. Gazing on his red headed friend, he gave a weary smile as she winked one of her green eyes suggestively.

"Well, we might as well leave now...I'm sure that the ANBU are on our trail." Tatari said, brushing past the tan haired man.

"What? ANBU? Why do you suppose that? Surely not already. It's only been 2 hours." Tatari slowed and said,

"Uh...well, you see, I was spotted...and I might have...you know, murdered the poor boy. I don't think I got all the blood cleaned up." Tatari finished with a large grin, and the man just sighed loudly and drooped his shoulders.

"Cheer up, Satoshi-kun. Measly ANBU can't finish us off. Why, we are the next Akatsuki, except we wont be letting children kill us, now will we?" Satoshi just stared at Tatari and pushed her through the door. Slamming it on his way out.

We have a lot of running to do. He thought, his mouth turning into a half grimace. Still pushing Tatari, he gave her one last shove towards a window on the side of the hall. Hoisting the bag over his shoulder, Satoshi followed Tatari and flew to the rooftops like all shinobi know how.

* * *

"BOY!" a loud yell echoed across the great hall, and into the courtyard where a man in his 20's was teaching a younger boy how to spar. The younger boy's head flew in the direction of the call, and his teacher took this opportunity to kick his feet out from under him. Falling in a heap on the very well cared grass, the boy's teacher grimaced. Sticking his index finger up, the teacher said,

"Never get distracted. Especially if some one calls your name. It's the perfect opportunity to tag an opening. Now go run along to the Raikage." The teacher said, hoisting his student up by the arm. Without so much as a word, the boy ran off in the direction of the voice. His teacher chuckled as he watched him try to pick grass and leaves out of his pale blonde hair.

The man looked around the courtyard, and sighed. With his student gone he had nothing to do. Scratching the back of his head, he decided to practice stealth and try to eavesdrop on his student's affair.

Sliding around a pillar in the great hall, he stole a glance at the receiving throne. Upon it sat an old man, the Raikage. His face was friendly, but tired. In front of him kneeled his student.

"Sa, Jii-sama, I heard your...summons." The boy said. His spying teacher had to shove a gloved fist into his mouth to stop himself from laughing. The Raikage was sitting straight, a frown threatened to show as he struggled to keep his face straight.

"Keii, how is your new sensei? He's reputed to be very good." The boy smiled at the old man.

"Sensei's style is...unpredictable. I find myself learning it easier than the style of my last Sensei." Keii paused, "But I somehow doubt that you would call me here, interrupting that very same practice, just to ask me how my Sensei was treating me. Please tell me what it is you want of me." The Raikage smiled.

"Ahh. Just like my grandson to pick up on what was underneath the underneath. Hitomi-san taught you well. But yes, you were right. It's the queen of the Hoku region." Keii stiffened. Prepping himself for what he sorely did not want to hear.

"She's been assassinated." Keiis mouth opened slightly, and his teacher, still eavesdropping, barely caught him say,

"...Aneue..." Keii lowered his head, and brought his hands together, giving a silent prayer for his elder sister.

"What will happen now?" Keii asked.

"We select a new queen. Your sister." Keii's head dropped slightly.

"No one has heard of her in over 5 years...What happens if she is already dead as well?" Keii asked.

"Rumiko's closet female relative will take the throne. But here lies the problem." The old man said.

"Why? What's wrong with Keiko-ne-san?" Keii said, he knew his cousin was always jealous of Keii's older sister, but she was usually very sweet to him. The Raikage sighed.

"Your cousin was assassinated as well." Keii's mouth gaped, and the great hall was so quiet, that a pin drop could be heard.

"If my last granddaughter is indeed dead, then the Sekihito reign will end, and the Hoku region will elect a new queen, and her family will serve until her line has been extinguished, just as it has since the Shodaime Raikage." Keii sat back on his heels.

"Ah, I see. Well, I suppose that is all? I'd really like to finish my lesson." Keii said, inclining his head slightly. The old man just gave a dry chuckle.

"It is. But I'm afraid your lesson will have to wait. Your Sensei is going to be in the retrieval mission for your sister. So you can come out now." He said, the man behind the pillars sweat dropped, and dusted his black sleeveless sweater off before stepping out from behind the pillar. Keii looked bewildered.

"Sensei! Did you listen in on the entire thing?" He said, his light brown eyes were widened in surprise. Keii's teacher just shrugged.

"I, ahem Just happened to overhear that I am to partake in a mission?" Keii's teacher said. The Raikage rolled his dark eyes and said,

"No playing games this time. You heard how serious this is. Find Ganjou-san and report to the mission's office in 15 minutes." Keii's teacher saluted roughly before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Ganjou-san!" A voice carried down the moderately populated street, into the ears of an average man, in every way. He was average height, had brown hair and brown eyes. He prided himself on his ability to blend in anywhere. Ganjou was hanging out in front of a small dango stand, chatting with a kunoichi known for her 'badass' attitude. Upon hearing his name called, Ganjou looked up and saw who was coming.

"Oh great. Listen, Kumiko-san, I have to go. Probably for a mission. I'll see ya when I get back...maybe we can go out to a real place to eat?" He said, adding a wink that made the kunoichi blush slightly as an evil smirk crawled onto her face.

"I'd like that. I'll hold it to you as well. Go an come back safely." She said before Ganjou waved at the oncoming shinobi.

"Let me guess, mission?" Ganjou said. The Raikages messenger grinned so wide the scars on his face crinkled.

"We get to travel this time. Hope you didn't make any plans. We might be gone a while." Ganjou rolled his eyes, and both him and his fellow nin raced by rooftop to the Raikages office.

"Enter." A tired voice called from the confines of the surprisingly small mission's office. Ganjou and his partner entered, and kneeled in front of the Raikage.

"Yukigama Ganjou, reporting." Ganjou said, rising from his bow.

"Katoki, reporting." His new partner followed.

"As Katoki here already knows, the queen of the Hoku region has been assassinated, as has her nearest relative, Keiko. Your mission is to retrieve my youngest grand daughter. Here." The Raikage leaned over his desk and handed Katoki a scroll.

Katoki unrolled the scroll to reveal a picture, and personal information on the girl. Ganjou glanced at it.

"Her information says she is 12...but her picture is that of a younger child, why?" Katoki scrunched his nose.

"Don't you remember? After the previous Hoku-hime died, both her youngest son and daughter were kidnapped? But Keii returned after a year, stating his sister was in good hands." Katoki said. That had been one of his last A rank missions as a chuunin.

"Oh...Oh yea! I remember, I had just become Jounin then, but I was out on a mission in grass when that happened."

Cough. Both men turned back to the Raikage.

"Ah, Gomenasai, Yondaime-sama." Katoki said, bowing. Ganjou didn't say anything, but bowed just as deep as Katoki.

"Well, as I was saying...Her brother had left her in a fishing village some where along the coast of the Fire Country. Start there, and find this girl. She is important not only to the Hoku region, but to me as well." Katoki and Ganjou both bowed again, and withdrew.

Walking down a fairly empty road, Katoki turned a corner, and waved at Ganjou.

"Pack for two weeks. I'll meet you at the southern gates in an hour." Ganjou rolled his eyes and continued to walk past his shouting partner.

Katoki walked up the stairs to his small apartment, and unlocked his door. Grabbing the large travel pack painted in camouflage, Katoki started to fill it with a few sets of spare clothes, a few sets of small weapons, and rations. He stuffed his supply of soldier pills in one of the side pockets, and zipped it shut.

Throwing his travel bag at his door, it collided with a dull thump, as Katoki slid his closet door open. He pulled out his largest cloak, and swung it around his shoulders. Patting his chest, Katoki made sure his necklace was still hanging around his neck before picking his duffle bag up, and dashing down the stairs.

Glancing at the clock that was in the entrance, he saw that he still had another hour and a half to waste. Smirking, Katoki headed for the dango stand nearest the southern gates.

Ducking under the hanging fabric, Katoki sat down at a stool and tucked his bag under his feet. He stared at a short woman with dark gray-green hair. Waiting for her to turn around, Katoki playfully tossed a toothpick from finger to finger, keeping it straight with minimal amounts of chakra.

"Oh! Katoki-san! I'm sorry, I didn't see you. The usual?" Katoki smiled at the woman. He nodded, and waited until after she started to prepare his dango before speaking, he opened his mouth, but the woman beat him to it.

"Katoki-san, I see you are wearing your cloak, is it going to rain soon?" She asked. It was the middle of summer, and while it was sunny and dry out at the moment, usually, living up to its name, the village hidden in the clouds, Kumogakure, was rainy and stormy.

"Ah. Chi-san. I don't think it's going to rain soon, but I'm leaving on an extended mission." Chi visibly drooped, but covered it up by leaning down to get a plate for Katokis dango.

"I see. How long will you be gone?" Chi asked. Her cheeks gave away a very light blush, and she avoided looking into Katokis blue eyes.

"Uhn...I'm not sure...ah! Arigato! You make the best dango." Katoki said, as Chi gave him his plate.

Leaning on her elbows, Chi tucked a stray hair behind her ears, and stared up at Katoki with her pale gray-blue eyes.

"So what's this mission about?" She said. Katoki smiled. Something about her hair made a little voice in the back of his head try to speak. But all Katoki heard was a muted buzz.

"That's classified information, miss. If I told you, I'd have to kill you." He said with a sly smile, flashing his longer than normal canines. Chi blushed quite noticeably and looked away, biting her hand and holding back a grin.

Glancing at the clock on the side of the shop, Katoki hissed.

"Saaa...I have to go. I promise that as soon as I get back, I'll come and get more of your delicious dango." Chi sighed, and Katoki paused. After a moment of hesitation, he leaned over the counter and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"I'll be back. Don't worry." And flashing another canine enhanced grin, Katoki ran off in the direction of the south gates, leaving a pale Chi holding her cheek behind.

"...Go and come back safely, Katoki-kun..." She whispered.

"Ha! I beat that idiot here!" Katoki said, causing a few civilians to look in his direction.

"Not quite. You're late." Came a voice from behind Katoki. Katoki turned and saw a Ganjou wearing a slightly shorter version of his cloak, and an equally large pack slung over his shoulders.

"Ah! Kuso! I got distracted by sweet things." Ganjou rolled his dark eyes.

"What, the Dango, or Chi-san?" He said, Katoki just laughed.

"Let's go. I see clouds in the distance. It will rain tomorrow. We might be able to cross the Fire Country's border by then, if we hurry." Ganjou nodded and the pair jumped into the treetops, occasionally waving at a few returning nin's they knew.

* * *

"Here. I'm gonna teach you a new jutsu." A tall man wearing wooden sandals said to a much younger boy. The boy started to get excited and loud.

"Reallyreallyreallly? What jutsu!!!" The tall man stood up straight and smiled. This new apprentice of his reminded him too much of his previous two apprentices. The man held out his hand and started to gather chakra into it, swirling it as he went. When he was finished, the man had a small ball of chakra rotating at wild speeds in his hand. The boy oo-ed and aw-ed at the sight. He even clapped excitedly when the tall man shoved this ball of chakra through a tree, damaging the front, and completely exploding the back of it off.

"That, my boy, is called the Rasengan!" The jaw of the boy in front of him dropped.

"That's the Yondaime and Naruto-sama's technique!" The boy said. The man, smiled, showing his age, and said,

"Ah. So you've heard of it. Can you tell me all you know of it?" The boy grinned as wide as he could. His white pupil less eyes closed, and his hand scrubbed the back of his blonde mop.

"Ano...The Yondaime created it, and it took him a few years to master it...and then Naruto-sama learnt it in a month!" The boy said, pleased with his knowledge of the legendary blondes' signature technique.

"Oh ho! We have ourselves a smart one! I say, how old are you, 12 right?" The boy nodded.

"You were the same age as Naruto when I taught him this one. Hmm...Has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like him?" the boy's smiled slipped a fraction.

"So many times, I'm getting sick of it. I swear, everyday for the past 4 years." The man laughed, and took out two water balloons. Tossing one to his new apprentice, the boy caught it with ease and grace.

"First step. Use your chakra to rotate the water inside the balloon, to pop it. Like this." The man held out his balloon and the boy watched with vivid attention as the balloon started to spike out at raw angles before bursting all over the blonde haired boy.

"Hey!" The boy yelled, dismayed that his black and orange jacket was soaked through.

Up in a tree some distance away, Hinata was perched on a branch, eating fried squid, and spying on her blonde son with her byakugan. Giggling when she saw the old man drench her son, Hinata poked her cheek with the sharp stick.

"Saa...Kuso! That hurt!" Dropping her empty stick, she quickly healed her cut and brushed the crumbs off of her beige and blue hoodie.

Once Hinata found out her son was taking a three-year apprentice ship with Jiraiya, Hinata dropped the disguise, although her hair was still mostly black, and decided to be her son's 'guardian angel'.

Kouden must think her dead by now. She hadn't visited him since that one time over 3 years prior. Whereas 'Kasumi' often had tea with Neji, Kouden knew nothing. Ino told Hinata that Kouden complained to her once, when buying flowers for Sasami.

_"Yea, man, Hinata, your kid came in my store today." Ino said, sitting in a booth at the barbeque restaurant. Hinata glanced at Ino, and continued to eat._

_"He told me that he missed his mother...well, more he told the flowers, but I overheard him. I pretended to ignore him, but he seemed to realize his slip, because he stiffened up, and stinted me on the money for the flowers he took." Hinata stopped eating at gazed at Ino's slightly red face. She was heavily pregnant with her third child, and this one was taking a toll on her._

_"But I let him get away with it, cuz you know, he's all we have of our hero." Ino sighed and looked out the window beside them. Hinata followed her gaze and popped another bit of meat from the small barbeque into her mouth._

_"You told Sai-san." Hinata said, not taking her gaze from the window. Ino stiffened._

_"Ah..." She said. Hinata continued._

_"He came up to me in here once, when I was working, and greeted me. He said, 'Ohayou, Hin-ah...Kasumi-san.'" Ino started to give a nervous laugh._

_"I'm sorry. Apparently I talk in my sleep when I'm knocked up. He told me that I mentioned you, and one thing led to another. He said he had his suspicions anyway." Hinata turned to look Ino right in her aqua eyes and said, _

_"Suspicious?" Tilting her head, Hinata appeared deadly to Ino._

_"Heheh...Yea, He said that you looked strangely like that weird dark haired girl that died with Naruto." Hinata gave a dry and quiet laugh. She focused back on her food and munched quietly._

Coming out of her memories, Hinata scanned again for Kouden and saw that he was yelling at a retreating Jiraiya. Squinting, she read Kouden's lips.

He was yelling...Ero-sennin! Why don't you stop peeping on girls and teach me like you said you would!

This time Hinata fell out of the tree she was sitting in laughing. Hitting a branch on the way down broke her fall, and Hinata had to nurse her wounds through fits of laughter. Naruto told her a lot of Jiraiya's perverted adventures. Those stories then were followed by an intense tickle session, which ended in kissing.

Hinata blushed, and glad no one was around. Picking her things up from her fall, Hinata walked back to the inn she was staying at with a smile on her face. She hadn't had a good laugh in a while.

* * *

End Chapter 14


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

* * *

Grabbing his untamable hair, Katoki pulled it in frustration. Ganjou threw him an irritated look.

"We've searched every bloody village along this god forsaken coast!" Katoki said loudly.

"Oh shut up. We've got another few villages to check, and if we don't find her, we can just go back to Yondaime-sama and tell him his granddaughter is dead." Katoki glared at Ganjou.

Pulling his long black cloak around himself so that it covered his torso completely, Katoki snatched the map of The Fire Country out of Ganjou's hands, being careful not to catch his slightly long fingernails on the paper. On the map, a dozen or so 'x's were marked in red along the coast of the large country, and only 4 were left. Katoki marked another 'x', reducing the number to three.

"How long will it take to get to the next village?" Katoki said, still glaring at the map. Ganjou shrugged and said,

"Like, a day. Maybe less." Katoki nodded absentmindedly. He was bored of running from village to village. He thought that the mission would take a week or two. Maybe three if they were lucky. But due to three or four false leads, they had been out searching for nearly a month and a half. The Raikage even sent a bird summon out to see if the two were even still alive.

"Listen, Katoki, if we don't find the girl by the next village, do you want to stay there a few days? I dunno about you, but I dont have as much stamina as you. I'm running low on chakra. The sleep we get isn't nearly enough to replenish it all."

"Yeayea. Me too. I've started to feel a little low." The corner of his mouth twitched before stuffing the now much-hated map into a pocket inside his cloak.

* * *

"Ow." Ganjou said. Katoki rolled his eyes. He was cleaning his short blade all ANBU were issued with, on the nin that he had just killed with it. Sliding the blade back into its black sheath, he glanced at Ganjou.

"Baka. I cant beleive you let a chuunin actually stab you." Katoki said, helping Ganjou slide his, now mostly red ANBU vest off. Dropping the blood soaked beige flak vest on the ground, Katoki proceeded to treat his partner's wound.

Ten minutes of complaining later, and Ganjou was standing shakily on his feet. Popping a blood restorative soldier pill in his mouth, the colour returned to his cheeks, but he still couldn't walk faster than a slow run.

"You are so lucky that we are an hour away from the village. I don't want to carry you. Maybe we'll run into a medic." Ganjou grunted. Using a silly suiton jutsu that he learned from a kunoichi friend, he managed to wash most of the blood out of his vest. Wringing it out, Ganjou stuffed it into his pack. Katoki unfastened his own vest and stored it in his own pack as well.

Katoki's estimate was off by a little. He encouraged Ganjou to run a tad faster, and the two managed to get to the next village within 20 minutes. They then spent the next hour looking for a medic.

When they finally found one, Katoki was a little skeptical. The girl appeared to be about 12.

"Excuse me...I was told that you were a medic nin?" Katoki said, leaning down to look her in the eyes. The girl scrunched her nose up and said,

"Ah...What? I'm an apprentice, I'm not very good...Why?" She said.

"My friend here, we were mugged on the way here, and he took a stab wound to his side. But you said apprentice right? Does that mean you're teacher is here? Would they be able to look at my friend?" The girl thought for a minute before nodding. She motioned for Katoki and Ganjou to follow her.

Ganjou painfully nudged Katoki in the side, and just as Katoki was about to yell at him, Ganjou pulled out a scroll. Katoki's eyes widened and he quickly jogged ahead a step to the girl.

"Excuse me, but does your name happen to be Migoto?" The girl looked at the taller man, her brown eyes wide.

"Uh, no..." She said. Katoki just grinned.

"Oh, sorry. It's just that you look like my Sister's kid. I haven't seen her since she was a small kid, but I got a picture of her last year." The girl just nodded and tried to shake off the fact that the man knew her nickname._ Well, It does mean 'beautiful'...I guess anyone could have that name._ She thought, still trying to shake off the feelings.

"Ah, this way. Is your friend still ok?" Katoki glanced back at Ganjou. His brown hair had become plastered to his face from sweating, and he was constantly groaning from the pain of moving.

"He'll be fine."

"Sasami-chan! What took you so long? I just asked from some gauze! The clinic isn't that far away" A voice said from the restaurant the girl turned into.

"Sorry, Shizune-sensei! It's just that a man...He needs your help!" The girl said, her light pink hair swaying as she turned to point at Ganjou, and almost dumping her armload of white bandages on the floor.

Shizune looked at Ganjou, up and down, before sipping her tea again.

"Alright, let me see." She finally said. Ganjou stepped up to Shizune and opened his cloak. Katoki's bandages had already bled through and were starting to fall off. Shizune hissed.

"What did you do? Get stabbed? Does it go all the way through?" Katoki snorted, but covered it up with a cough. Ganjou glared at him before saying,

"Grass nin. Got overwhelmed and let one of their blades through. It didn't go all the way through, but it really really hurts. We jogged half an hour to get here." Shizune lifted her hand from the wound and said,

"Do you think you can walk for 5 more? I can treat you better at the Inn we are staying at." Ganjou glanced at Katoki, who quickly, and unsuccessfully tried to wipe his amused grin away. Katoki nodded, and snorted again when Ganjou looked away.

"Yea...I can make it." Ganjou said, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. Shizune looked at Katoki, who stared her flat in the eyes.

"You his friend?" Katoki nodded. Shizune then stood up and exited the restaurant, followed by Ganjou and the nearly forgotten Sasami. Katoki took up the rear. Turning a few corners before Shizune stopped walking, Katoki bumped into Sasami, and made her drop the armload of gauze. Sasami made a distressed noise and Katoki apologized and helped her pick the bundle up.

Once they were in Shizune's room, Katoki and Sasami sat in a corner while Shizune treated Ganjou's wound.

"So, are you guys like, shinobi?" Sasami said to Katoki. Looking down at her, he said,

"Yea. We are. But so are you, right? Genin or chuunin?" Sasami looked at Katoki with surprise.

"Gennin, how did you know?" Katoki almost asked her is she was retarded. Almost.

"You...you are wearing a hiteate..." He said. Sasami blushed 8 shades of red.

"Ah! Kuso. I forgot to take it off again." She said, sliding the headband off her forehead and throwing it on top of her bag in the corner. Looking at Katoki again, she paused and said,

"You look like a friend of mine." Katoki raised his eye brow.

"How so?" The girl looked at Shizune before replying.

"Your hair. It looks like it's never seen a comb. It's almost the same colour as his too. Except yours is a tad darker." Katoki frowned. He'd met quite a few people with his hairstyle before, and quite a few people with his hair colour, but most of them were girls.

"Wh-" Katoki started, but was cut off when Shizune clapped her hands.

"Done! You had a slice in your liver, but it wasn't too major. You will scar, but you're a man, so I don't think you should care. I couldn't get all of the internal blood out of your system, as you bled quite a bit, so take it easy for the next 2 or 3 days." Ganjou stood up and twisted his abdomen.

"Ah..I suppose that weird feeling is the blood working its way out?" Shizune nodded and Ganjou continued. "I suppose that I owe you my life. Thank you very much. My friend here can't patch his own clothes right, less me." Katoki threw him a glare, but Ganjou just laughed it off and left the room.

"Do I owe you anything? I can pay..." Katoki said, but Shizune just waved his words away.

"No no no. My pleasure. It's good experience for Sasami-chan. Maybe when we get back, you'll have something to show Sakura-chan and Tsunade-sama."

"Godaime Hokage?" Katoki said. Shizune nodded.

"Tsunade-sama, and Sakura-ne-chan are teaching me how to be a medic nin!" Sasami said. Katoki was going to reply, but Ganjou stuck his head in and said,

"Hey, blondie! We need to get going. We have a mission to do." Katoki stood up, and Sasami said,

"Mission? What do you have to do?" Shizune hit her on the head for being nosy, but Katoki said,

"Well, usually missions are a secret, but maybe you can help us. You see, I'm looking for someone important. She's around your age. Here, this is a picture of her when she was a child." Katoki showed Sasami and Shizune the picture on his scroll, without showing all the other details.

Shizune shook her head. Sasami stared at it again before shaking her head as well.

"Oh, sorry, and thank you again for healing my friend." Katoki said and bowed, leaving the room.

Sasami glanced at Shizune, she was trembling slightly. Shizune noticed this and said,

"...What's wrong? You can't be sick..." Sasami said, her voice quiet.

"Shizune-sensei...that picture...That was a picture of me." Shizune gaped.

* * *

"Ganjou, I'm gonna go roam the streets aimlessly, pondering my exsistance. Okay?" Ganjou just waved Katoki away. It was mid afternoon, and Ganjou really wanted to sleep. Katoki grinned and left the room that they were staying at.

True to his words, Katoki wandered the streets, taking random turns every now and then.

_Opening his eyes, the boy had to blink away tears as the white room blinded him. Sitting up, he noticed that he was wearing a light blue pair of scrubs. Hearing a beeping sound to his right, he saw that he was connected to a machine by a wire that ran to a white circle attached to his chest. On his finger was a clip that had a red light. When the boy pressed his fingers together, the clip beeped loudly, and the boy jumped._

Click click click click_. The door to his empty white room opened and a tall woman wearing a white dress with a large hood attached to it walked in._

_"Oh! You're awake! I thought it was another prank!" The lady said. The boy just stared at her._

_"Where am I?" He said. His voice was rough and sounded like it hadn't been used in a while. _

_"In the hospital. You have been out cold for almost 2 months. Can you tell me your name?" The boy stared at her. _Two months?

_"I...I am...I...don't know..." The boy said finally. The nurse paused before saying, _

_"Oh! Ok, well, wait here please. I'm going to get a doctor. He might be able to help you and answer any questions you have." The boy nodded and swung his legs over the edge of his bed. Scratching his cheek, he discovered that they were bandaged. So was his forehead and neck. He looked at his hands and saw that they were bandaged as well._

What the hell happened?_ He thought. But his thoughts were interrupted by the door swinging open again. The nurse from earlier walked in followed by a tall man wearing a long jacket and hood similar to the nurses's, but he was wearing black pants underneath them._

_Checking the machine that he was hooked up to, the doctor nodded and jotted down something on his clipboard. Turning to the boy, he said, _

_"Now, Ayame-san tells me that you cannot recall your name. Is that right?" The boy nodded._

_"Can you tell me what you can recal?" The boy put a bandaged hand up to his chin, and said, _

_"...Pain. Darkness, pain, and a wordless voice." The nurse looked worried._

_"Pain?" The doctor said. "Hmm. Well, I was told that when you woke up, I was to notify the Raikage. You look like you are in near perfect health, but I will have to keep you here till tomorrow. Alright?" The boy nodded and gasped as the nurse pulled the wire off his chest. Her fingers were cold. _

_Rubbing the spot where she had touched him, the boy laid back down. His eyes still hurt from the white, and he was strangely tired._

_Thock!_ Katoki snapped out of his thoughts and found himself sitting on the ground. His face hurt, and he saw that a few people were looking at him strangely.

_Must have walked into a tree...oww._ He thought. Standing up and brushing himself off, Katoki shook his head and continued to wander.

Down one street, past a few restaurants, down another alley, past the hotsprings, down a park path, into the forest.

_Thock!_ Katoki once again was snapped out his wanderings as he, once again, found himself sitting on the ground and rubbing his face. Sighing, Katoki stood up, and walked up the tree he had just run into. Reaching the top branch, he scouted his area.

Watching a bird fly away, Katoki's ear gave a small twitch. Had he just heard an explosion? Shifting on the branch so that he could look around better, sure enough, he heard another crash, and a tree quite far away, started to fall down.

Katoki pushed chakra into his legs and he started to run towards where the tree fell. Landing on a nearby tree, Katoki tried to look through the branches, but was interupted as the tree he was standing on, started to rumble. Then it started to fall. Swearing loudly, Katoki quickly jumped onto a branch on the tree next to him.

After his heart stopped beating so hard, Katoki looked down and saw that he could clearly see the tree feller. It was a little boy, with bright yellow hair. The boy was standing with his hand out in front of him. He looked like he had just thrown an open handed punch. Katoki stared at him. Why wasn't he moving?

The boy twitched, and before Katoki could respond, he started to shout at the top of his lungs.

"I DID IT! I DID IT! I MASTERED THE RASENGAN!" _Rasengan? Is that an attack name?_ The voice at the back of Katoki's head started to mumble again.

"Ah, where is that ero-sennin?" The boy said. Katoki watched as he went through several seals and shouted, "Byakugan!" He also watched as the boy suddenly swiveled around to face Katoki's branch and said,

"Who are you?" Katoki's mouth dropped. Dropping off the tree branch, he stood by the trunk and stared at the kid before him. He looked to be about 12, maybe 13, and he had very pale, pupiless eyes, that at the moment looked very angry, no doubt due to the intimidating look of all the blood vessels that were now sticking out around his eyes. Katoki raised his hands and said,

"Woah, woah! Calm down, kid. I was just wondering who was cutting down all the trees." The boy took a step back and the veins around his eyes smoothed out, leaving the embarrassed face of a young boy behind.

"Ah...Sorry. You scared me. But I need to go and find Ero-sennin now...uh, what's your name?" Katoki grinned.

"I'm Katoki, might I ask who you are?" The boy looked at Katoki for a second, before answering.

"I'm Uzumaki Kouden!" He said, smiling proudly. Katoki turned his head and looked at Kouden out of the corner of his eyes.

"Oh, well really now. Did you say that you had something to do?" Kouden's white eyes widened and without even a good bye, he scampered away. Katoki gave a small laugh, before turning to the trees again.

"Can I help you?" He said, looking at the tree opposite the direction that Kouden had left in. Katoki heard a gasp before before the figure promptly fell face first, out of the tree, onto the ground.

"Ahh! Are you ok?" Katoki said, rushing to the figure. Rolling the said person over, the first thing that Katoki noticed was that the figure had breasts, and that his hand was currently placed on one. Blushing, Katoki pulled his hand back just as the woman groaned. Opening her eyes, she shut them again as the sun tried to blind her. Rolling over, and with a bit of help from Katoki, the woman stood up, and turned to look at Katoki.

"Ah!" She said before she fell over in a dead faint. Katoki's eye twitched as he caught her before she fell, nearly getting stabbed by the senbon that were keeping the buns under her ears up._

* * *

Owwwww...my face hurts..._ Hinata whined to herself. Looking around, Hinata pondered for a second why everything was black, before she remembered that she had just fallen on her face. She was probably unconcious. Struggling to open her eyes, Hinata groaned. Her mind awoke before her eyes, and all that she could feel was a rock that was digging into her back. A few shuffling noises caught her attention, and when she finally got her eyes to open, the first thing she saw were knees.

Looking up to her dismay as the person who owned the knees had their back to the sun. Blinking again, she sat up. The person helped again, and Hinata was back on her feet.

"Uh...Hello? You just fell out of a tree, are you ok?" The person said. Hinata paused.

"Is that why my face hurts? Yea...I'm fine...Who are you?" Hinata said, rubbing her cheek.

"Uh...I'm...Katoki." He said. Hinata suspected that it was a fake name, but she was too into rubbing her sore cheek to give it too much thought.

"Can I ask who you are? Since you know, you were spying on me and everything." Hinata couldn't help the slight blush that dusted her face.

"Uh...I'm Hinata. I wasn't spying! I was just making sure you weren't going to hurt that boy." Hinata said.

"He looked mighty fierce to me, what are you? His mother?" Katoki said. Hinata's head shot in his direction and she stared him right in his eyes.

"Yes." Katoki's smiled dropped as he got a better look at the woman. Sure enough he saw that she had the same pale eyes. Although the veins around them were smooth, the killer intent that she was leaking, nearly rivaled the sight.

_Nffzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!_ The buzzing in Katoki's head desperatly tried to talk to him. Katoki tried to ignore it, and looked directly into Hinata's eyes.

Suddenly a wave of pain hit Katoki, bringing him to his knees. Crying out, as another wave hit him, Katoki started to panic as black started to seep into the edges of his vision. The last thing he saw as he slipped into a painless bliss, were Hinata's pale eyes. But instead of being filled with anger, they were filled with genuine concern.

* * *

Walking out of the forest, Kouden passed the hotsprings. Glancing around the corner, Kouden's face distorted into one of disgust.

"Ero-sennin! Get away from the fence!" Kouden shouted, and grinned as he heard women scream and scramble out of hotspring. The white haired man shot Kouden a look that suggested he was in for some serious poundings. As soon as the first drop of killer intent rolled off the mighty Jiraiya, Kouden took to the roofs.

Not that it mattered. Jiraiya caught the young blonde about 30 seconds later. Just as the mighty Sannin raised his fist, Kouden squeaked,

"I mastered Rasengan!" Jiraiya's face held still and Kouden scrambled out of the tall man's grip.

"Show me." He said. Kouden shrugged and holding out his hand Kouden slowly formed a mass of swirling chakra. Jiraiya studied the ball for a few seconds before Kouden let it dissiapate.

"It took far too long form it, but other than that, excellant work. Just like your father." Kouden grinned an exact copy of his father's and Jiraiya almost sighed.

_"So kid. Did you know you look like-"_

_"Naruto. Right?" Kouden said, cutting Jiraiya off, who just laughed._

_"You are Jiraiya of the sannin right?" Jiraiya's eyebrow raised._

_"O ho! It seems that I'm more famous than I thought!" Kouden's eyes narrowed._

_"No. Tsunade-obaa-sama told me that If I ever saw a spiky white haired old man with red marks on his face, peeping into a women's hotsprings, it was probably Jiraiya." Jiraiya's eye's narrowed at the young naruto look a like. Putting his arm around Kouden's shoulders, Jiraiya said, _

_"Listen, kid. If you promise not to tell Tsunade about this, I'll take you in for an apprenticeship." Kouden's eyes instantly widened._

_"Really? I was gonna look for you anyway, but this is so much cooler!" Jiraiya's eye twitched._

_"Look? What makes you think I woulda taught you anything?" Kouden's eye brow raised._

_"Becasue Tsunade-obaa-sama, and Sakura-nechan are teaching Sasami-chan, and Uchiha-san is teaching Shiro. And becasue we three are all related to Team 7 by blood." Kouden jolted. He wasn't supposed to say that last part. Kouden tried to think up a lie to cover his mistake._

_"Blood? Elaborate." Kouden tried to think up a lie, but the silent pressure Jiraiya was putting on him didn't allow him to think. Finally Kouden sighed. He could trust his father's old sensei, right?_

_"Well...Sasami-chan is Sakura-ne-chan's Aunt's grandaughter. Shiro is Sasuke's like, 8th cousin or something. Very distant, but still there." He paused. Jiraiya sat back, taking his arm off of Kouden's shoulders._

_"Naruto...Naruto is my father." Jiraiya was expecting anything but that. Along with his jaw, everything else in his hands dropped to the ground._

"Hey kid. Let me treat you to some ramen, and you can tell me more of your childhood." Kouden bounced up and down as Jiraiya led the way to the nearest stand.

* * *

End Chapter 15

Sorrrrryyyy! This is the first time I've been aloud on since I got grounded. I doubt that I wil be able to post another chapter untill around christmas. I am glad to those who still follow my story, it means alot to me.   
Mog


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

* * *

Wringing the water out of the cloth she was holding, Hinata glanced over at her new aquaintance with worry. Getting him to her hotel was bothersome, as he was much bigger than her.

Placing the cool cloth on his forehead, Hinata ran a finger along a scar that decorated his face from the corner of his eye to the edge of his mouth.

"Having fun?" Katoki said, Hinata squeaked and nearly jumped a foot.

Opening his eyes, Katoki sat up and grabbed the wet cloth before it landed on his lap. Putting his hand to his forehead, he said,

"How long was I out?" Hinata blinked and tried to force that blood that had collected to her cheeks back.

"A-a few hours. Are you ok? I mean, you just collapsed!" She said. Leaning onto her fists in front of her.

"Yea, I'm fine. Am I in your hotel?" Hinata nodded. Katoki sat up properly and after a few minutes of silence, asked,

"Um...Your eyes...Byakugan right?" Hinata stiffened, but nodded, Katoki continued, "Sa...The boy had those too...do alot of people with your eyes have the same dark hair?" Hinata looked questionly at Katoki.

"Most of the people with my eyes have dark hair, yes. Every once in a while someone marries outside the clan and you get the lighter haired ones." Katoki nodded slowly.

"So your husband has the blonde hair? Where is he? Was he with you when you were watching the boy?" Hinata grimaced.

"He did have blonde hair...and as where he is...He's dead. He died before Kouden was born."

"Oh! I'm sorry! Oh kami-sama..." Katoki said, his eyes wide and and his hands waving.

"It's ok. It was along time ago." Hinata stared at Katoki.

"Can I ask where you got those scars? The uh...the ones on your face?" Hinata asked, blushing slightly. Katoki just rubbed the back of his head.

"I...I dont know." Hinata looked at Katoki, her pale eyes full of questions. Katoki continued.

"When I was younger...I woke up in the hospital, with no memories. I didn't even know my name. I have no idea how old I am, or where I am from. I had asked the nurses about these scars here," Katoki guestured at the one that Hinata had been stroking, "She said that they were bleeding when I arrived at the hospital, So I assumed that I had recieved them when I lost my memory." Hinata nodded.

"What hidden village are you from?" She said.

"Why do you figure that I'm a shinobi?"

"You've obviously heard of my byakugan, so I'm sure you know what it can do. I saw your coils. Well developed from long Chakra usage. And I saw you climb the tree." Katoki laughed and rubbed the back of his head. Hinata's heart panged painfully.

"What's wrong?" Katoki said, seeing the suddenly painful look on his rescuer's face.

"Uh...nothing. It's just that my husband used to do that," she gestured his actions. "before he died. But anyway, what hidden village are you from? You never answered me." Katoki paused.

"Kumogakure. What about you?" Hinata jolted. Kumogakure?

"What?" Hinata said angrily, Katoki almost smacked himself on the forehead.

"Sa! Sorry again. You must be wary because of that incident. I studied it once for my Jounin exam...the group that tried to capture the Hyuuga heir all those years ago, all the survivors that made it to Kumogakure were charged with trying to start a war. Our Raikage is much like your Sandaime was. Peace-loving. That rebel group were all executed." Hinata wilted visably. A small smile of relief dressed her face.

"Konohagakure, for me. But you should have known that." Hinata said.

"Ahh, yes. I should have. What rank? I'm ANBU." Katoki said, with a grin of pride. _He even smiles like Naruto-kun..._

"Uh...I was chuunin."

"Was?" Katoki asked. Hinata wrung her fingers, trying not to slip into her habit of pushing her index fingers together.

"I'm considered dead to my village." Katoki blinked. "I'de rather not talk about it." She said.

Katoki's stomache took this as an ample oppurtunity to growl, rather loudly. Hinata giggled and Katoki chuckled.

"Do you want to get something to eat?" Katoki said. Hinata nodded and helped her new friend up to his feet.

"Do you have any food preferences?" Hinata asked, as the two walked down the semi crowded streets. Katoki was silent before saying,

"Dango? Do you like it? We have an awesome dango stand back home." Hinata gave a small giggle.

"I love dango, it's one of my favorite foods." Katoki smiled as hard as he could, and let Hinata lead him through the streets to the dango stand she had found the previous day. Sitting at a small table in the corner of the small restaurant, Hinata twiddled her thumbs while Katoki just stared at her.

"A-ano...When was the first time you had dango, Katoki-san?" Hinata said, cursing to herself for stuttering. Katoki looked to his left before answering.

"Uh...I think it was a few days after I woke up...from the hospital, of course...But I was wandering the streets, taking in sights and sounds that were completely new to me. I had turned a random corner, and saw this small restaurant. It just drew me in, for some reason...and after finding out it was a dango stand, I ordered some, and fell in love with it." Hinata smiled. Katoki did as well, but Hinata suspected that he was leaving something out.

She didn't mind though. Some secrets were meant to be kept quiet.

"Ne, Hinata-san...what about you? When was the first time you had dango?" Katoki said, Hinata blushed slightly.

"Uhn...I can't remember, I was so young...the cooks at my manor always cooked some. I never really liked it...but on the day I became a genin, my team and I went out to a small restaurant, kind of like this one..."

_"Hinata! What do you want?" Kiba's loud voice called out. Hinata cringed, and resisted the urge to put her hands over her ears. _

_"A-ano...Kiba-s-san...you a-are standing 2 f-feet away..." Hinata said softly, hoping she didn't offend._

_Kiba just rubbed the back of his brown mop and grinned, showing his elongated canines. A small yip came from Kiba's jacket as Akamaru's small white head popped up near Kiba's neck._

_"So...What did you want to order?" Kiba said, much quieter this time. Hinata just blushed slightly and stared at the menu._

_"I suggest the dango. I hear it's very good here." Hinata's quieter teammate, Shino, said. Hinata just nodded, and let Kurenai order the food for her._

_When it finally arrived, their table was a mess. Kiba had spilled his water all over Akamaru, who jumped out of Kiba's jacket, and spilled Kurenai's coffee all over her jounin flak vest, and getting a few splatters on Shino's white jacket. Hinata couldn't see his mouth properly, but she was very good at reading emotions. He almost radiated disdain for his loud mouth teammate. Hinata just sat in the corner and tried to blend in with the wall. Her face almost as red as Kurenai's pants, Hinata tried to sink into herself._

_When Shino calmly took the dango from the waitress's hands, he handed a stick to Hinata. Placing the tray on the table, making sure that Kurenai and Kiba's squabbling wouldn't hit it._

_God-forbid if they ruined Shino's dango._

_Hinata stuck the sticky ball in her mouth, and nearly melted._

_"Mmm! This is good!" She said, Shino nodded and popped his own ball of sticky goodness into his mouth._

"Kurenai-sensei ended up thumping Kiba-kun so hard that his head broke the table on the way down. We never made her mad after that." Hinata said, she felt very happy being able to talk about happy memories.

"That's awesome! My genin team were alot younger than me, so they treated me like a big brother, but I acheived chuunin a few months later. Once on a mission to Amegakure, they, and our sensei took us to a ramen stand. That stuff almost rivals dango! Have you ever had ramen?" Hinata blinked. Her mood instantly shifted.

"Uhn...Yes. There were several ramen stands in Konoha." Katoki hissed.

"Sorry again. That look means that I've brought up bad memories. I'll just...not talk about ramen anymore." Katoki laughed and waved Hinata's sad face away.

The rest of their hour long, many dango'ed conversation went without a hitch. Walking out the restaurant, Katoki looked at the sun, which had just set.

"Sa! I need to get back, I didn't tell my partner I was leaving." Hinata smiled but felt sad.

"Will you be here tomorrow?" She couldn't help but ask. Katoki paused. A smile that copied hers was on his face.

"Probably not. I'm actually on a mission. Sa...If you come here, at maybe 5 am, we could have one last dango together?" Katoki said, Hinata blushed slightly before nodding.

_This is almost like a date!!_ inner-Hinata nearly screamed. Hinata nearly jumped. The bold Hinata hadn't shown herself in a few years. When she looked back up at Katoki, she was shocked to find that he was already gone.

* * *

"I address you today, on a wonderous note." The dark room, with it's dark stone walls, bounced every sound off of it's walls, amplifieing the androgenous voice.

"The jutsu has been completed. With an accuracy rating of nearly 100, it's finally time to put our wonderous plan into motion." The speaker raised it's fist up, letting a glimpse of pale hand show.

Tatari nearly shouted with glee. _Finally!_ she thought, _I can prove myself to Leader-sama!_ Swishing her long, and currently unbound red hair, she shot a look at the woman who sat beside her. On her black cloak, the symbol of Kirigakure shinobi. The four curved lines were set in light blue, and made the blue of her eyes glaringly obvious. The woman with blue eyes's mouth twitched.

Tatari knew that the woman wanted to stick her tongue out at Tatari, almost as much as she wanted to kill her. Pretending nothing happened, they both turned their attentions back to the nameless leader. Tatari tried to get another glimpse of him, or her, but was thwarted. The dark of the cave was too much.

After the speach ended, The leader had the only other hooded outlaw hand out scrolls. Each one had the symbol of their respective countries on them. Turning around Tatari bumped into Satoshi, who seemed to ignore her untill the leader had left with the other hooded person.

"I'm gonna find _my_ target before you do, Tatari!" The woman said, sounding very much like a 12 year old. Tatari wrinkled her nose, and ignored the sighs that came from both Satoshi, and her rival's partner.

"Yea right! I've already found mine! I've been keeping tabs on her for nearly 4 years, Kasumi-chaaan!" Kasumi's face turned red and she brandished a polished kunai from her cloak. Her partner stepped in and took the weapon from her hand.

"That's quite enough. Let's go." He said. The ragged scar that ran across his throat drew Tatari's attention, just like it did everytime she saw the man. Kasumi huffed, but disapeared in a puff of smoke.

The man sighed, but fixed the scratched out suna hiteate that sat on his forehead, and bowed before he poofed away.

"That was immature, Tatari-chan." Satoshi said. Tatari eyed him with her piercing green eyes. Satoshi, in turned, rolled his brown ones. Reaching out to her, Satoshi pulled her in closer, and smoothed her long hair. Tatari fiddled with the clasp that had been shaped like the cloud on Satoshi's hiteate. She sighed and looked up at her partner.

"When we get vastly strong, and rule the world, alongside Leader-sama, we should have a child." Satoshi grinned. Not even the least bit fazed. Ever since the first time she saw him without his hood on, Tatari had latched herself onto his arm, and never let go. Telling him at least once a day that she should let her bear him a child.

"If, and when." He said. Tatari sighed, and poofed out of his arms. Satoshi followed less than a second later.

* * *

"So how did Hinata-san hold up all those years?" Jiraiya asked the small blonde beside him. Kouden finished his ramen in record time, and politly used a napkin to wipe droplets off of his face.

"Kaa-san was always nice and considerate. She didn't tolerate rule breaking though. I remember a few times when I tested her patience, she'd close the tenketsu on my arms." Kouden grinned. He remembered that those time had also been very painful.

"She spaced out alot though. I'de often see her sitting on a low branch near the cabin staring at the sky. When she was out picking vegatables once, I read her diary. They made me sad, even when they were happy." Jiraiya wasn't smiling anymore. Instead he had a thoughtful look on his face.

"From what I remember of her...She was always so attached to Naruto. I can see that losing him, and her place in the village had probably ripped her soul up." He said. Kouden nodded somberly.

"I think she might be dead." Kouden said, bluntly. Jiraiya blinked.

"Why do you say that?" The mighty sannin asked. Kouden fiddled with his chopsticks.

"She hasn't visited me in over three years, when she promised me she would come as often as she could." Kouden paused, looking up at Jiraiya.

"Can we go visit my home? I want to see if she even lives there anymore." Jiraiya stared at his student sadly. At least his father didn't have to go through the pain of losing parents.

"Sure kid. We can leave tomorrow. On the way, I can help you increase your chakra stores even more. You're gonna need them if you ever have hope of summoning Gamabunta." Kouden grinned. He had been at it for nearly two months, and the only frog he could summon was Gamakichi. Gamakichi was a few inches bigger than when Naruto summoned him last, but him and Kouden hit it off great. Kouden often summoned him just to talk and play with.

Ruffling the blondes hair, Jiraiya grinned as he remembered not only ruffling Naruto's spiky blonde mop, but Yondaime's as well. Sigh. Jiraiya was starting to think of retiring. He was getting to old to witness any more tragic lives.

* * *

"The clouds are nice..." a tall man wearing a white vest said. Both of his partner's eyebrows twitched, and the little girl standing beside him just nodded in agreement.

"Shikamaru! Watch the clouds later! We're training!" A tall woman in black and dark purple yelled. The third partner, a large man with long spikey brown hair just shoved another chip into his face. The little boy behind him copied him. Shikamaru sighed. Kneeling down to the little girl beside him, he said,

"Zai-chan, can you make your kagemane reach to the that tree?" He said, the girl nodded, eager to please her father, went slowly through a set of seals, and Shikamaru watched as the girl's shadow extended and reached a tree a few metres ahead of them.

"So. Chouji, it's your turn to be the shadow victim. I'll be Inoshi-chan's." Chouji nodded. Whispering something to his red-haired son, the boy nodded and shoved a few more chips in his face before shoving the bag into his pocket. Shikamaru turned to his blonde friend.

"Ino, Inoshi-chan, when you're ready." Ino nodded and pushed her daughter forward. Inoshi blushed and went through the seals for her family jutsu.

"Shi-shitenshin n-no jutsu!" Inoshi blurted. Shikamaru felt a small push at his forehead, but nothing else happened.

"Did it work?" Ino asked. Shikamaru shook his head. Inoshi lowered her arms in defeat. Shikamaru smirked and placed his hand on Inoshi's short blonde hair. The girl looked up at Shikamaru with her dark eyes and Shikamaru said,

"Dont worry. Ino didn't get a hang of the jutsu untill she was 9 years old." Ino's eye twitched and she thumped Shikamaru. Laying on the ground, Shikamaru sighed again.

_The clouds are nice..._ A bird flew across the tree tops, catching Shikamaru's eye.

"Mendokuse..." He said, standing up Shikamaru dusted his vest off. "Alright. I have to report to the Hokage's office, Ino, can you look after Zai-chan until I'm back?" Ino sighed and nodded. Shikazai ran over to Shikamaru and hugged his leg.

"Tou-chan! Can you get me some pocky when you get back?" Shikamaru laughed.

"Yeayea. Just be good for Ino. And don't tease Nazo-kun." Shikazai giggled, and Shikamaru jumped into the nearest tree.

About half way to the Hokage tower, Shikamaru was joined by Kakashi.

"You got called too?" Shikamaru said, landing on a pole and using it to propell him up again. Kakashi nodded and Shikamaru sighed.

Landing on the wall beside the window to Tsunade's office, Shikamaru used chakra to sit on the wall while Kakashi opened the large window. Following Kakshi inside, Tsunade had her hands on her hips.

"Tsch. You know that we have a door, right?" Kakashi laughed and Shikamaru mumbled about things being troublesome.

"You called?" Shikamaru said. Tsunade paused before handing him a scroll. Unrolling it, Shikamaru scanned it before handing it to Kakashi.

"So we have to retrieve a genin? Why was I even called? This doesn't seem to need an ANBU. Besides, it's Kakashi's student. Why am I involved?" Tsunade's eyebrow twitched. Clenching her fist, she hit her desk, it then broke in half, scattering all the papers.

"The Raikage sent all the countries a scroll asking for the return of his grandaughter Migoto, or Ditama Sasami, as we know her. I'm sure he has sent his own nin, probably ANBU, out looking for her. He said that it was to do with politics, which is why I'm sending you. I need you to not only protect her, but if you do encounter any of his nin, deal with them in a politcal manner. Invite them to Konoha so that we can discuss the release of Sasami-chan. Try to keep this as bloodless as possible. Our treaty with the Cloud walks on a knife edge." Shikamaru sighed.

"I need you to tell Shizune that her mission has been aborted. Tell her the client has withdrawn." Kakashi nodded and turned to Shikamaru.

"Main gates in 15 minutes." the grey haired man said before poofing away in a swirl of leaves.

_Mendokuse... _The black haired man sighed again, and walked out of the room.

* * *

End Chapter 16

Saaa, I got my computer back, FINALLY, but It will be gone when school starts again. I will try to update as much as possible untill then. Thank you all for reading this! It makes me very happy!


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

* * *

Hinata's heart was racing. Putting a hand on her chest, she willed it to slow. 

_Stop it. You are just going for dango, and to say good bye._ She thought, becoming angry with herself. Looking down, she realized that her index fingers were pushing against each other. Frowning, Hinata crossed her arms and shivered.

The sky was just starting to light up, and some of the windows had a bit of frost on them. Rubbing her arms, Hinata wished she had brought a thicker jacket. It was well into fall, And Kouden's birthday was coming up soon. Naruto's too. She'd have to say a few prayers for him.

"Hinata-san!" A voice said, cracking the stillness of the cold morning air. Turning around, Hinata saw two figures wearing long dark cloaks and beige vests. One of them was waving, his dark gold hair was sticking out of his plain ANBU mask. The other one was a few inches shorter, and his mask was sitting on the side of his face.

"Ah..Katoki-san!" Hinata said. Katoki took his mask off and grinned widely. His partner looked at him and Katoki gasped.

"Oh! I forgot, this is my partner Ganjou. Ganjou, this is Hinata-san. I met her yesturday, she saved me from a headache that caused me to lose conciousness." Hinata bowed shakily, and Ganjou glared at Katoki while he bowed. Looking around, Katoki saw all of the closed shops.

"Saa...Is there anyplace that's open?" Hinata stifled a giggled and Ganjou sighed.

"I think there is an oden shop nearby that will open in a few minutes. I wouldn't mind a hot meal before leaving." Ganjou said. Hinata nodded. Katoki smiled and grabbed Hinata's arm, and started to drag her forward before her feet caught up. Hinata blushed, but she wasn't sure if it was embarrasment, or quiet anger.

"Stop Katoki. She can walk." Ganjou grumbled, and Katoki blinked.

"Saa..sorry. I'm impulsive." Hinata laughed, and Katoki grinned.

The three reached the oden stand, and sat down. The owner was still taking things out, but had his son start their orders. When they got them, Hinata poked at her soup, as she watched Katoki shoveled it into his mouth.

"So, Hinata-san, what brings you to this city in particular?" Ganjou asked. Glaring at Katoki.

"Ah, I'm watching over my son as he trains." Hinata said carefully. Ganjou nodded and started to eat his own soup.

"Nn...Katoki-san, yesterday you told me you were on a mission...may I ask what the objective is?" Ganjou paused, but started to eat again. Katoki, now finished his first bowl, ordered another before speaking.

"Saa...We are looking for a girl. But it's difficult because the only picture we have of her was when she was 5. She is 12 now. Hey! Take a look, maybe you've seen her?" Hinata smirked, taking the scroll from Katoki's hand. Unrolling it, Hinata gazed at the picture. Her pale eyes widened and she looked at Katoki.

"Why do you want her?" Katoki blinked.

"Oh! Not for anything bad. She has family that hired us to find her." Katoki said, "Do you know her?" Hinata paused.

"Its...This is Sasami-chan! She looked liked this the first time I saw her..." Hinata trailed off as she looked at Katoki. His face was calm, and expressed no emotion. A glance at Ganjou's showed an identical expresion. Hinata wondered if she should have opened her mouth.

"So, uh, do you know where she is right now?" Ganjou said. Katoki nodded. Hinata put a finger to her mouth.

"Uhn...She might be in Konoha...hey...if you are gonna go there to look, can I come with? I have people I need to see." Ganjou narrowed his eyes. Katoki's remained the same as ever.

"I suppose. But I need to check a certain hotel first." Hinata blinked.

"Why?"

"A friend. We owe her something for her help, so I planned to buy her flowers and leave them on her door." Katoki said. Hinata nodded.

"Can we meet somewhere? I can collect my stuff, and meet you somewhere after you get your friend flowers." Hinata said, turning in her chair.

"Yea, meet here in half an hour? It will give you time to say good bye that boy...Kouden?" Hinata looked downcast.

"He doesn't know I am still alive. But that's ok. I'll meet you here in half an hour." And with that Hinata left.

"Katoki...What are you doing?" Ganjou whispered. Katoki stood and said,

"I don't know. But she knows the girl, maybe when we pay her a visit, she can calm her down untill we get back to the Raikage-sama." Ganjou blinked at this.

"Raikage-sama? You intend on bringing her to Kumo?" Ganjou said, walking beside Katoki.

"Well, she doesn't have anywhere else to go. And besides...I feel really comfortable around her." Ganjou didn't reply, but continued to walk as Katoki led him to the hotel that the medic nin and her student were staying at. Sliding the door open, the Inn manager perked.

"Ah, Ohayou Gozaimasu! You are early this morning, would you like a room?" Katoki shook his head.

"Saa, no. We are just here to visit a friend before we leave. Can we just go up?" The manager stared at Katoki's stupid grin for a few seconds before nodding.

Walking up the stairs, Katoki counted the doors to the room he knew Sasami was staying at. Reaching the fifth door, Katoki knocked. Waiting a few seconds, Katoki knocked again when no one answered. Hissing, Katoki fumbled around in his cloak untill he found the small roll he was looking for. Unrolling it, he pulled a thin pair of picks out, and faster than you could say 'unlock', Katoki swung the door open.

"Saa..." Katoki said, observing the room.

"We were too late." Ganjou said, bending down and picking up the discarded blanket. Katoki motioned for Ganjou to follow him out of the door. Locking it again, Katoki put on his smiling mask to fool the manager into thinking they had accomplished their task.

"Saa, Let's go meet Hinata-san. She can take us to Konoha." Katoki mumbled, heading towards the oden shop.

* * *

"Shizune-sensei...?" Sasami said, her voice just barely catching Shizune's ears as the two whizzed through the trees. 

"Hush. Ah, here we go. Stop, Sasami-chan..." The black haired medic-nin said. Gazing up at the sky, Shizune saw a large hawk fly in a circle, and then cry out.

"We make camp here." Shizune said, dropping off the branch she was standing on.

"What? Why? I would think that I need to get back to Konoha, especially after that man..." The pink haired girl said, her brown eyes frowning, even if her mouth wasn't. Dropping down from the branch she was standing on, Sasami moved closer to Shizune and looked around. Shizune smiled a warm smile. Placing her hand on top of Sasami's head, she said,

"Dont worry, help is coming. Here, once you set up temporary camp, I'll let you try healing the fish again." Sasami grinned.

* * *

"Mendokuse..." An ANBU with a deer mask said. His partner, a jounin teacher and an ex ANBU just chuckled. They were jumping through the trees, and if the message they got by bird was right, they were only an hour away from their target.

"Why did I have to come again? She's _your_ student. I'm sure Shizune-san can fend for herself." The ANBU said.

"Oh shut up. This is the 8th time you've said that since we left." The gray haired man said, starting to get annoyed with his partner's complaining. Landing on another branch, the grey haired man used a small burst of chakra to propell himself forward again as he jumped swiftly through the trees. His partner followed with equal ease.

"Nnnn...Kakashi, have you seen Hinata recently?" Kakashi blinked.

"Actually, no. I mean, usually she's working at the barbeque, or watching Kouden train. I haven't seen her since...ohhh...You know what, she is probably trailing him and Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi said.

"Ohh...that makes sense, I wish she would have told us though." Shikamaru said and Kakashi nodded in agreement.

A few moments of silence slowly turned into minutes, which slowly turned into an hour. Finally, Shikamaru and Kakashi came upon a small camp that looked like it had been thrown together. Landing right by the small fire, the two occupants swiveled their heads toward him.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Yelled his pink haired student. Sasami jumped up and ran to her teacher, hugging his waist.

"Shizune-sempai, Tsunade says that your mission has been terminated. The client has withdrawn. But furthermore, Sasami-chan needs to be escorted back to the Hokage." Shizune nodded and started pack up.

"Ah...Kakashi-sensei, how long will it take those men to find me?" Sasami said, from her place at Kakashi's side.

"What? What men?" Kakashi said, kneeling down. Sasami hesitated, glancing at Shizune.

"Uhn...These two men, ANBU actually, one was hurt badly, so Shizune-sensei healed him. After that, before they left, the taller man with scars and spiky hair showed me a picture and asked if I had ever seen her. I said no, but it was a picture of me before I moved to the fishing village..." Kakashi's eye widened. Looking back at Shikamaru, Shikamaru just shifted his feet. Standing up, Kakashi roused Sasami's hair and said,

"Don't worry. Now that we are here, nothing will happen."

* * *

"Ah, Hinata-san, It seems you are expeirianced in the ways of Shinobi." Ganjou said to Hinata, as she jumped off of another tree. Katoki chuckled behind his ANBU mask. Hinata said,

"Well, I was a chuunin...I mean, I learned how to tree jump in the academy..." Hinata said, slightly blushing, she was glad that Katoki had lent her a spare mask. The long black cloak that Katoki had also lent her was trailing behind her.

Staring at Ganjou's bird-like ANBU mask, she got the impression that he was grinning. Grinning herself, she stopped when Katoki raised two fingers up straight. Nodding, she went through a few seals and activated her byakugan.

"Ah...I can see 4 people...Including Sasami-chan. They all look like expeirianced chakra users. We have three shinobi to deal with." Hinata said. Ganjou sighed and Katoki clicked his tongue.

"Let's try to make this as bloodless as possible. We want to peacefully take the girl, not cause a war. Kami knows we dont need another. How long till we reach the camp?" Katoki said.

"A few minutes at the most. We are just under a kilometre away." Katoki nodded and straightened his mask. It was identical in shape to the one he had lent Hinata, but the markings were different, and in a different colour.

"Ah...Kakashi, we have approaching nin. Stand guard." A voice said through the tree. Hinata stiffened. Kakashi? Katoki dropped out of the trees, followed soundlessly by Ganjou and Hinata.

"Saa... As-"

"We know what you are here for. We know why. Your Raikage has sent out scrolls to all the shinobi nations. We, as shinobi of Konohagakure, formally invite you into our village to meet with Hokage-sama untill an agreement can be made." The only Konoha ANBU said, eyeing the three before him. Katoki looked back at Ganjou, who didn't move.

"Alright. That's fair." He finally said. His voice betraying no emotion. Kakashi stared at Katoki with his peircing eye, but the ANBU didn't even flinch. Moving his gaze over to the ones behind him, the shortest one, flinched ever so slightly when he ran his gaze over him. Looking closer, Kakashi noted quickly that he was in fact a she.

"Excuse me." The short ANBU said. Kakashi's gaze snapped up to her masked face. "I'd like it very much if you could keep your gaze at face level." the leader of the group was visibly trying to hold him laughter, whilst the one behind him actually let out a chuckle. Shikamaru sighed, and Kakashi blushed slightly.

Turning away, Kakashi saw that Sasami and Shizune had packed up the camp, relativly faster than he expected and were both now staring at him.

"Alright, lets go. We can make it to Konoha by dark if we push." Shikamaru said. The group nodded and took to the trees.

* * *

"Stop, names and...Oh! Kakashi-san, Shizune-san! Nevermind. Go right in. Hokage-sama says she is waiting for you." Kakashi nodded and led his small group into the streets of Konoha. It was just starting to get dark, and all of the lights were on.

"Wow...It's so beautiful...this is my first time here, what about you, Ganjou?" Katoki whispered.

"Once or twice. Personally, I like Kumo better." He said, shrugging, and looking around. "Everyone is staring at us..." Hinata looked around, and sure enough, anyone still out in the streets were casting looks of curiosity at the group. Hinata saw several people she knew, including Ino and Sakura talking to Anko over a few sticks of dango. When she passed them, they all stared at her and her group. Sakura's glances were mainly at Sasami, and her bright green eyes were laced with worry.

"The Hokage tower is just around this corner." Kakashi said. Leading the group through a series of twists and turns. When they finally came upon the large red building, Kakashi made the use the stairs.

Knocking on the door to Tsunade's office, the Kumo ANBU were getting looks by the ANBU that guarded the office doors.

"Come in." A voice said, floating through the door. Kakashi pushed the large doors, and Hinata was surprised when they opened without resistance or sound.

"Tsunade-sama. I have retreived Sasami, and brought the Kumo ANBU that were sent as well." Kakashi said. Shikamaru snorted. The lady at the table had her hands crossed in front of her face.

"I thank you three for not pursueing a quarrel. May I ask your names?" Hinata stiffened.

"No problem. Raikage-sama told us to avoid conflict. I am Katoki."

"I am Ganjou."

"And I am Kasumi." Tsunade nodded, and missed both Kakashi and Shikamaru twitch.

"Alright. Now the Raikage has sent a request that his grandaughter be returned to Kumgakure without harm. But I'm sure as you know, we cannot just release her. What do you propose?" Tsunade said.

"Wait, what? Who is the Raikage's grandaughter?" The pink haired girl said. Tsunade frowned.

"You are. Apparently you have alot of family still alive in the cloud. You might want to have a talk with your father about that. Actually, Kakashi, would you be so kind as to fetch Ditama-san?" Kakashi sighed loudly and poofed out leaving a bunch of leaves.

"I...I have family? Is Aniki there? Aneue? Kaa-san?" Katoki turned to Sasami and paused before saying,

"Saa...You do. I am actually your Oni-san's Jounin Sensei. The raikage is your grandfather." Sasami gaped.

"Aneue...Kaa-san?" Katoki looked at Ganjou.

"We will let Raikage-sama explain it better to you." Sasami nodded, clearly shocked by the news. She didn't even turn back as Kakashi walked through the doors, followed by a blonde man with brown eyes.

"Ah. Ditama-san. I'm glad you are here." Tsunade said as the man adressed bowed. "Now, Katoki-san, may you explain to me why Sasami-chan is needed?" Katoki nodded.

"Well, as Hokage, you probably know that the Hoku-hime has recently passed. We need Sasami to take her place, or the Sekihito reign will end." Tsunade sighed.

"Sasami is only 11. Isn't she a little young to be taking the throne of over a quarter of the Lightning country?" the blonde said, her hands resting on her desk.

"As long as she is there everything will be fine."

"No! I will not let my daughter be a part of that, that...Conspiracy!" Sasami's father yelled.

"Please, Ditama-san. Calm down." Tsunade said.

"No! I will not! I already lost a wife to it, and if you are here now, It means Rumiko is dead too, right!?" Ditama yelled. Sasami's eyes widened, and her vision became blurred with tears.

"Ditama-san...please. Sasami will be fine. The group responsible has been eliminated down to it's last follower." Ganjou said, glancing at Katoki, who nodded. Hinata just stood by the wall, not beleiving what she was hearing.

"I have an Idea." Ganjou said. His voice peircing the quiet squabbles of Ditama and Tsunade.

"Share, please." Tsunade said. Her voice bristling with anger.

"I say that we take Migoto-sama, but after, say, a year or so, let her screw up her job so badly that the Raikage will have to take her from the throne. That way she can return here, alive." A few minutes of silence followed.

"I am surprised, Ganjou. Who knew you could think of something like that." Katoki said. A hint of a grin was heard in his words, and Ganjou had to hold back from hitting his taller friend.

"Well, I'm for that...Sasami-chan, are you?" Tsunade asked, looking down at the quivering pink haired girl.

"I...I really want to see Aniki...and Jii-sama...A year isn't that long. B-but what about my training, Tsunade-sama?" Sasami said. Tsunade paused, and then rifled through her large stack of scrolls beside her desk. Pulling out a larger one, she handed it to the young girl and said,

"This is a scroll of beginer and intermediate medic tasks. It will help you sharpen your control, and be sure to practice the enhanced strength lesson." Sasami nodded and fiddled with the end of the scroll.

"So we are agreed then? We will escort Migoto-sama to Kumogakure." Katoki said, and Tsunade nodded.

"But you will be escorted to the border by Shikamaru and Kakashi here. I might as well throw Sakura in as well. She will want to say goodbye to her cousin." Katoki nodded and Shikamaru let out a loud sigh.

"Katoki-san, you and your group may find a place to stay tonight. I expect you all to be here at 5 am sharp for last minute words." Katoki nodded again and started to walk out the door, Ganjou and Hinata quickly following him.

"You kept calling her Migoto, why?" Hinata asked, joggin up to Katoki.

"That's her name. This 'Sasami' that you call her, must be a name her father decided on to protect her, or something."

"Ah...I see." Hinata said.

"Ne, Hinata-san, do you know anyplace to stay?" Katoki said, laughing and rubbing the back of his head. Hinata grinned and said,

"Yea, there is this one place I stayed at once. Here, I'll show you!" Hinata said, she grabbed Katoki's hand and pulled him towards the said Inn, Ganjou following closely.

Taking his mask off, Katoki ran a hand through his hair. Hinata took her mask off as well. Blinking her pale eyes, she stared at Katoki.

"Yes?" Katoki said, and Hinata blushed.

"Aa-no...I was just wondering, I'm kind of hungry. Do you want to go grab something?" Katoki grinned and Hinata blushed harder.

"Yeah! Actually, I want to see if your bragging lives up to itself. Let's go for ramen!" Hinata giggled and nodded. Katoki told Ganjou that they were leaving, and Ganjou just grumbled.

As soon as they stepped out of the room they were staying in, the two put theirs masks back on. About half way to the ramen stand that Hinata had in mind, they were approached by another ANBU.

"Yo. Kumo ANBU. Can I have word?" The man said. His dark hair in a high ponytail. Katoki nodded and the man continued.

"Kasumi-san, was it? You seem new to ANBU. How long were you a jounin for?" Hinata frowned behind her mask.

"Why would you say I'm new? That's a little rude..." Katoki nodded slightly.

"Ahh, that did come off a bit rude. Sorry, but they way you move isn't exactly like an experianced ANBU." Hinata waved off his apology and said,

"Ah..well, I am new I suppose. But I was chuunin. Not jounin. Now, is that all?" Hinata said, anxious to get away. Shikamaru was about to start talking again but Katoki interrupted.

"Sorry, but my partner here may be new, it doesnt require an ANBU interragation. I, myself am quite hungry and would be pleased if you let us continue on our way." Hinata nearly squeaked as Katoki pushed past Shikamaru, dragging her along. Shikamaru's masked face followed the pair untill they turned the corner.

"Ah! Look, the ramen stand!" Hinata said, pointing.

"I-chi-ra-ku. Ah! I've heard of this stand, they are a legend out in the rain country." Hinata's eyes opened in surprise.

"Rain? I knew they were famous, but not that famous!" Katoki nodded eagerly. As the two approached the ramen stand, Hinata quickly went through a few seals and activated her partial henge, unnoticed by Katoki. Katoki was the first to duck under the flaps that said 'ramen' and sit on a red stool. Hinata followed closely and took a seat next to Katoki.

"Oh! And what can I get you two tonight, ANBU-sama?" An old man said, drawing his daughter's attention away from fixing her own son's hair. Katoki lowered his hood, his mask still in placed and said,

"Ah, I think I will try the miso ramen. My friend here will have the same." The old man nodded and set to work. The trio of ramen cookers worked as smooth as a greased gear, and after only a few minutes, both Hinata and Katoki found their mouths watering at the sight in front of them. Without thinking, Hinata took her mask off, and grabbed a pair of chopsticks as Katoki followed suit.

"Itadekimasu!" Both Katoki and Hinata said, and dived into their respective ramen. About half way through her first bowl, and nearly through Katoki's third, Hinata glanced up at the Ichiraku family. The girl, who Hinata remembered as Ayame, was stealing glances at her. Finally, as though she was physically being dragged, Ayame slowly leaned towards Hinata.

"Sumimasen...But you look familiar...Have we met?" Hinata stopped slurping her noodles, and looked up at Ayame. Slowly shaking her head, Hinata said,

"Aha. A lot of people seem to mistake me as someone they know these days. No, this is the first time I have ever been to Konohagakure. I must say it's lovely though." Ayame nodded and stood up straight.

"Oho! Ayame-chan, don't bother the customers!" The old man said. Ayame blushed and quickened back to her place by the vegatables.

After all was said and done, Hinata had avoided any more awkward questions, and Katoki had ignored the strange looks the Ichiraku Trio had been giving him. The two pulled their masks over their face, and chatted in hushed, but jolly tones about the last two days.

Making it back to their Inn without conflict, Katoki graciously gave his pallet to Hinata for the night, and she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Katoki, on the other hand, just stared at her sleeping face. The annoying buzzing in the back of his mind had started again, but much to Katoki's relief, it came without pain this time.

Shaking his head to try and rid himself of the irritating noise, Katoki ended up rapping his head on the side of the window frame.

"Itaaaiii..." Katoki groaned, clutching his the side of his head. Checking to see if he had woken Ganjou or Hinata, Katoki sighed when he saw that he hadn't. Sparing one last glance at the way Hinata's hair was gently bunched up by her ear, Katoki stared out the window and up at a perfect half moon.

* * *

End Chapter 17 


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

* * *

"Oi, Hinata-san, wake up." A gruff voice said. Hinata opened her eyes, and sat up. Looking at the voice, she saw that it was Ganjou, and tried to cover up her blush with a yawn. 

"Good morning...Where is Katoki-san?" Hinata said, folding up her pallet. Ganjou looked out the window at the still dark sky.

"He's in a meeting with the Hokage. He should be back with the escort group in a few minutes actually." Hinata nodded and picked up Katoki's cloak.

"Here. Have this." Ganjou said, holding a folded beige peice of fabric out to Hinata. Grabbing it, Hinata unfolded it to reveal an ANBU vest. Hinata nodded and removed her hoodie.

"Good thing my shirt is sleeveless." Hinata said to herself. Sliding the vest on, she was surprised at its warmth. Throwing the long black cloak around her shoulders, Hinata placed the mask on her face just as Katoki popped up in the window.

"Can you use any weapons?" He said, glancing at Hinata's bag.

"Uh, Senbon, and the usual shruiken and kunai." Katoki hummed.

"Do you have any senbon on you? If we run into trouble, you can't use jyuuken right? Assuming you can perform it." Hinata reached into her bag and pulled out a kunai pouch. Opening it, she showed it to Katoki, revealing that it was filled with tens of senbon.

"I know that I can't use Jyuuken. You'd think 12 years of running would teach me that." Hinata said. Katoki laughed.

"Everyone is waiting down there. Can you two be ready in less than a minute?" Hinata heffed her bag up onto her shoulder. Ganjou was already walking toward the window.

"Well, Katoki. It seems that Hinata-san and I are done, and ready. Now lets escort us a princess." Katoki nodded and dropped down from the window, his cloak fluttering around him.

"After you." Ganjou said, holding his hands towards the window. Hinata smiled and jumped out, landing next to Katoki. The Konoha ANBU with the deer mask watched her the entire time.

Hinata looked around and saw that the group was larger than she thought. It consisted of herself, Katoki, Ganjou, Shikamaru, Kakashi, Sasami, and Sakura, as Hinata knew would be there, but it seemed that a few nin decided to tag along. Shiro, Sasami's teamate, was there, as well as Neji's daughter, Aiko.

Looking up at Katoki, she slightly twitched. Katoki nodded.

"Saa. I was told that I was only going to be accompanied by a single ANBU and two jounin. Yet I see two nin here as well. Does the Hokage doubt my ability to keep Migoto-sama safe?" Kakashi raised his brow and shifted his feet.

"Erm...I know it may be troublesome, but this boy is Sasami's teammate, and wishes to accompany her to the border. This other girl..."

"Aiko."

"Erm...Aiko, appears to be a companion of them both." Shikamaru said. Katoki looked at Ganjou. Ganjou shrugged slightly and Hinata shifted her stance.

"...Alright, we don't have much time. Yondaime-sama gave us a time limit, and we have nearly reached the end. If you chuunin can keep up...Then please do so. I plan on reaching the border by early afternoon." Shikamaru nodded. Raising his fingers up he motioned for his fellow nin to start towards the entrance.

Katoki took off at a fast speed, followed closely by Hinata and Ganjou

* * *

Katoki was slightly disapointed when the group didn't reach the border at the time he wanted. He knew that he should be fair, as the pink haired girl and her friend with pale eyes like Hinata's were still genin. Or so he thought. Hinata kindly informed him that the girl with brown hair and pale eyes was still an academy student.

_"Errrgg... We aren't going to make it..." Katoki said, his voice bordering on a whine. Hinata smiled behind her mask. Jumping slightly closer to Katoki, Hinata said in a hushed tone, _

_"Take it easy...Sasami-chan is still a genin." Katoki sighed._

_"What about the other one, what kind of genin travels that slow?" Hinata giggled quietly._

_"A..Aiko? She's an academy student!" Katoki faltered and misstepped a branch. Hinata grabbed his arm to prevent him from falling. Katoki looked up at her, and Hinata was glad that she was wearing a mask. She was sure her face was as red as a tomato._

_"Academy? Kami-sama...Oh! I noticed that her eyes are the same colour as yours. Does that mean you are related?" Hinata nodded._

_"She is my cousin's daughter. Hyuuga Aiko." Katoki nodded. After a few moments of scanning the group to make sure everything was orderly, Katoki turned back to Hinata._

_"This will be a story to remember, the whole escorting a princess thing." Hinata smiled and nodded._

_"Ano...Katoki-san, to make your story better, you can brag that you were technically escorted two princesses." Katoki turned his head towards his dark haired friend._

_"Hnn? Two?" Hinata nodded, still looking ahead._

_"You said you studied the incident of the Hyuuga with the cloud, right?" Katoki nodded. "Tell me about that princess." Katoki was silent for a second._

_"She was three years old when that rebel group arose. Uhn...About her? Well, I know that she was described as an accomplished medic-nin later on in her life, and that she later died tragically...about...ten years ago?" _

_"12." Hinata said, quietly._

_"What?"_

_"I died 12 years ago." Katoki was silent for a long time after that. Hinata had hung back slightly and made small talk with Ganjou, until Katoki finally said, _

_"...Hinata..." Hinata looked up and saw that Katoki had pushed his mask back slightly to reveal a stunning blue eye. Speeding up so that she was on par with Katoki, she clenched her cloak tighter around her. It was starting to rain. _

_The dark haired princess nearly jumped out of her skin when a strong arm wrapped itself around her waist, and in mid jump, held her close for a second. Hinata exhaled, and after a moment that seemed an eternity, Katoki let her go and Hinata nearly stumbled on the next branch._

_Pushing his mask off to the side completely, he grinned at her so hard it made his scars crinkle._

"Alright. This is the border. Please, say your farewells to Migoto-sama. We need to get to the Cloud as soon as possible." Katoki announced to a cold and wet escort team. A few nins shot glares at Katoki, but he just ignored them and joined Hinata and Ganjou.

"Ah, Sasami-chan...I'll be sure to come visit you. I'll tell Kouden when he gets back where you are as well." Sasami's black haired teamate said, and gave the pink haired girl a quick hug.

"Kya...Sasami-chan! Be sure to learn all of the techniques on Tsunade-sama's scroll! I'm gonna test you when you get back!" Sakura said, wiping a peice of wet pink hair out of her eyes. She then laughed and hugged her shorter cousin. Sasami laughed as well, and both pink haired girls wiped tears from their eyes.

"Ah! It's too bad Ni-chan isn't here! He could kiss you good-bye!" Aiko shouted. Sasami turned a bright shade of red and turned around holding her cheeks. Aiko grinned widely and slipped Sasami a package.

"Here, It's a present from me and Kaa-chan. I made it myself! It's a special kunai, perfectly balanced, and extra sharp." Sasami smiled and hugged Aiko.

"Thanks...Good luck with you and Shiro-kun. I saw you two kissing behind the academy!" It was Aiko's turn to paint her face red as she stumbled away back to Shiro, who's face almost matched her.

"Aiko? Kissing? Aren't you a little young? What are you...11? Shiro! Behave yourself! You are a chuunin!" Sakura said, quite loud, and bringing sniggers from the other nin present. Shiro's face looked like it was bleeding, it was so red, and Aiko's was pale.

"My my. All of my student's are hooking up! Maybe it's my turn!" Kakashi said, clapping his hands. Shikamaru just sighed. Walking over to Katoki's group, Shikamaru said,

"Ah..Mendokuse, but I am going to have to ask you to send a progress report on Sasami-san every month. Would you be so inclined to tell Raikage-sama so?" Katoki nodded.

"I've got it covered. Don't worry, Shikamaru was it? Migoto-sama is in good hands." Shikamaru nodded.

"Alright everyone. Sasami-san has to leave now, and we have to report back to the Hokage." Shikamaru said, raising his hands and getting everyone's attention. After a last second goodbye from each person there, Sasami was ushered towards Hinata. After the Konoha nin left, Katoki jumped into the trees.

"Alright, Migoto-hime, can you keep up?" Ganjou asked. Sasami nodded and jumped into the tree. Hinata jumped up beside her and said,

"If you get tired, you just tell me, and I can carry you. We can't afford anymore delays." Sasami was quiet, but nodded. Hinata looked at Katoki, who just nodded once.

All in all, even with the rain, Sasami almost made it to the Kumo border. A few kilometres short, and Sasami suddenly passed out from chakra exhaustion. Hinata caught her and Katoki helped to put her on Hinata's back. She slept the rest of the way.

"Hinata-san, stop here." Katoki said, holding up a gloved hand. Hinata nodded and dropped from the tree she was standing on. Shifting Sasami on her back, Hinata looked up at Katoki.

"Saa...I need you to take your mask off. Your vest too." Hinata paused for a second.

"A-ano...Can you take Sasami-chan then?" Katoki grinned and nodded. Some where in the action of lifting Sasami and Hinata moving her arms up to help, Katoki's right hand, covered in a fingerless glove, brushed against her side. Hinata gasped, and Katoki jumped as if he had just been shocked.

Now red in the face, Katoki stammered out an apology, while an equally red Hinata tried to wave it off. Ganjou? He just laughed.

"Wow! This place is beautiful!" Hinata said, now walking through the streets of Kumogakure, unmasked and carrying a still sleeping Sasami on her back. Katoki smiled and nodded.

"Ne...Katoki, do I really need to give a report? I mean, you can do it though...I don't really want to...Oh! Suzuki-san! Long time no see!" Ganjou said, and trailed off into a conversation with an orange haired woman. Katoki rolled his eyes, but continued on the mainstreet. Coming upon a large, round, yellow building that had a giant kanji for lightning on it, Katoki held out his arm and in a theatrical voice said,

"And this, milady, is the office of Yondaime-sama." Hinata smiled, and supressed a giggle. Katoki grabbed Hinata's arm and lead her through the maze of hallways untill they came upon a set of large red doors. Two ANBU guarded the entrance, but when they saw Katoki, they ignored him. Just as Katoki was about to drag her inside, Hinata hesitated.

"A-ano...Should I be going in? I'm not even part of this village, let alone the mission..." Katoki frowned.

"Saa...Yondaime-sama is a kind old man. He will probably give you a reward for helping us." Hinata hesitated again, but let Katoki drag her into the office.

"Oh? Katoki? Where is Ganjou? And who is this?" An old man sitting at a large desk piled with papers said.

"Yondaime-sama! Ganjou is dawdling with women, and this is my friend Hinata-san. On her back is your grandaughter, Migoto-sama." Yondaime blinked. He dropped his pencil and stared at the girl on Hinata's back.

"Ossu! Wake her up!" Yondaime said. Hinata set Sasami on her feet, and Katoki shook her shoulder. Hinata then stood against the wall and raised her hood, hiding her eyes.

Sasami groaned and rubbed her eyes. Looking up she saw the man that was friends with that other man Shizune healed, and an old man all staring at her. Letting out a small 'eep', Sasami backed up a step.

"Ah! Migoto-chan!" The old man said. Sasami looked at him.

"Please, will you people stop calling me 'Migoto'! My name is Sasami! Who told you it was Migoto?" Sasami said, hugging herself.

"Oh? I suppose that when your father stole you away, he changed your name as well." Sasami looked up.

"Stole?" The old man leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"This can wait until tomorrow. I'm sure you want to see your brother before night falls completely." Sasami blinked.

"Aniki? He's here? Where? Ahh! What about my Grandfather? I was told that he was here too!" Sasami said. The old man just laughed and leaned back.

"Girl, I _am_ your Grandfather." Sasami paled. Sasami quickly bowed and said in a small voice.

"Aa...Gomen! I didn't mean to speak to you so disrespectfully, Jii-sama!"

"No bowing, it's fine! In fact it's refreshing! You are the first person other than Katoki here to speak to me like that in a while." Sasami glanced over at the tall man, who grinned and flashed his rather long canines.

"Come here, Sasami-chan was it? I want to see you. It's been nearly 8 years since I last saw you." Sasami shakily walked over to the old man who grabbed her shoulders gently and looked her over. Pulling her into a hug, Sasami gasped, and the old man just said,

"Ah...Migoto-chan, I've missed you so much..." Sasami frowned slightly, but held her words untill the old man let go.

The doors beside Hinata whipped open and Ganjou stumbled in.

"Ah! Yondaime-sama, gomen! I was...distracted!" He said, trying to regain his composure.

_Yondaime-sama? Ah! That's right, my grandfather is the Raikage! _Sasami thought, her eyes widening. _I was RUDE to the RAIKAGE! Oh kami-sama..._ Katoki must have been watching her because he suddenly said in a voice that sounded like he was laughing,

"Saa, Yondaime-sama, I beleive Migoto-sama needs her sleep. She traveled a fair distance today, and almost non-stop. Ganjou can escort her to her rooms. Right, Ganjou?" Ganjou blinked. A needle sharp jab of killing intent was thrown at Ganjou, who started to sweat. Pushing a confused Sasami out the door, he bid the Raikage goodnight.

"Ah. Well, now that that is taken care of, I'de like to meet your friend, Katoki. Please inform me on how you met her, and why she seems involved in this mission." Hinata blushed and lowered her hood. She saw the Raikage tense up for a split second as he took in the colour of her eyes, but otherwise showed no reaction. Katoki rubbed the back of his head and grinned. Putting his arm around Hinata, he pulled her close and said,

"Well, you see, I met Hinata-san in the forest, and we fell in love and got married! Isn't it wonderful!" Katoki said. The Raikage's mouth was agape, and Hinata's face was the colour of her eyes. The room was silent, but the silence was broken when Hinata fainted, and hit her head on the corner of Yondaime's desk.

"Shimatta! Hinata-san, wake up! It was a joke! A joke!" Katoki said, shaking Hinata. The Raikage was still stunned when Hinata finally opened her eyes and held her head wound closed.

"A-ano...aa itai...There a-are s-some band-dages in my p-pack..." She said, pointing towards her fair sized pack laying on the ground against the wall. Katoki nodded, still worried, and retreived the bandages.

He managed to do a half decent job on wrapping her head a few times before the Raikage spoke again.

"Katoki. Please, no more jokes. They tend to hurt people." Katoki laughed nervously, and Hinata unconsciously scooted away.

"A-alright. So as I was saying, While on my grand journey to look for Hoku-hime, I heard an explosion. I climbed a tree to see what was exploding, when the tree I was standing on fell down. I jumped down after being spotted by the kid was apparently using a weird jutsu to cut them down. I chatted with the kid, but he ran off to tell...'Ero-sennin'? I think that's what he said...But anyway, I heard Hinata-san here on a branch, so I asked who was there. Hinata then fell out and hit the ground face first." Katoki took a breath, and Hinata rubbed her nose.

"After I gro...er, woke her up, we exchanged names, but when I looked at her eyes, I had another attack. But this time is was as bad as that one I had a few years ago." Raikage whistled. He remembered that attack. It had left Katoki in the hospital, complaining about a constant buzzing noise for over a week. Concussion is what the nurses had labeled it, but Katoki never beleived them.

"And I passed out. When I woke up, I was in Hinata's hotel room, and she was tending me. We went out for dango after exchanging words." After Katoki finished, the Raikage was quiet for a minute, his gaze was on Hinata, and it was making her nervous.

"So tell me Hinata-san...I assume you are a shinobi?" Hinata nodded slowly. "Can you tell me what Village and Rank?" Hinata paused, and said,

"Former chuunin from Konoha..." The raikage raised a brow.

"Former?" Hinata looked the side.

"Uhn...I left the village 12 years ago...for personal reasons." The old man coughed, and Hinata looked up.

"Oh, oh! No! I didn't kill anyone! I'm not a nukenin...someone close to me was killed, and I got angry at the village, but I dont regret my decision."

"I see. Well, Hinata-san, you are welcome to stay in Kumogakure for as long as you wish, as long as you don't start any trouble." Hinata smiled. Raising her fingers together, she tapped them and said,

"A-ano...Would it be possible for me to be instated as a shinobi here? I mean, I was pretty good when I left, and I wouldn't want my skills to go to waste..." Katoki smiled and Hinata blushed a bit.

"Well, It would be easy to reinstate you as a chuunin, but I'de have to get a Jounin to supervise you at all times untill you are deemed trustworthy." Katoki grinned wider and raised his hand, and jumped up and down.

"I volunteer!" He said, sounding like a kid in a candy store. The Raikage chuckled.

"A-ano...If possible, once I am deemed trustworthy, would I be able to join ANBU? I was planning on it before anyway..." Hinata said, straining not to stutter. Raikage thought for a good long minute before saying,

"Well...It depends. Our test here is different than that of Konohagakure. But for now, stick to chuunin. Report here tomorrow at 8 am and I will give you and Katoki a mission." Hinata smiled widely, she bowed and said,

"Thank you, Raikage-sama, I will not let you down!" Raikage just laughed and waved the girl out.

After Hinata had gathered her things and left to stand in the hall and wait for Katoki, Raikage said,

"Katoki. You realize that your girlfriend there is a Hyuuga?" Katoki grinned.

"Of course. It was my manly charm that attracted her to me." Raikage sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Go now. I have work to do. Be sure to watch her. I can tell she is a good person, but due to our country's relationship with her family, she might not trust us at all." Katoki nodded and walked out the office door to let the Yondaime grumbled about paperwork.

* * *

"Ah! Hinata-san! Let's go!" Hinata blinked.

"Where?" Katoki grinned again.

"Well, you need a place to stay right? How about you stay with me untill you can find your own place...or you can just, never leave!" Hinata blushed horribly and waved her hand.

"Aaa...I couldn't bother you...I'm sure there isn't any room for me there..."

"Nonsense! My apartment is big enough for the entire escort team to live comfortably!" Katoki said, and tugged on Hinata's arm. Hinata hid a grin and a blush as her friend excitedly dragged her towards his house.

"Aha!" Katoki said, pulling out a silver key from a pocket in his cloak. Inserting it into the lock, Hinata winced as the lock twisted and gave off a horrid sounding rating noise. Katoki jerked the handle up, and pushed on the door with his shoulder. The door creaked and moaned. If Hinata didn't know any better, she would have thought she was entering a dungeon.

"This is home sweet home." Katoki flicked on the lights, and Hinata sweatdropped.

* * *

End Chapter 18 


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

* * *

"Oi! Kid! Are we almost there? We've been looking for a week!" A short blonde boy turned around and frowned at the old man that was yelling at him.

"Ero-sennin, I haven't seen my house in over 4 years. Give me some time!" Jiraiya rolled his eyes and jumped into another tree. The blonde had stopped his jumping and was now peering over the horizon.

"Ah! There! See that tall tree with the wonky top? I remember climbing there once!" Kouden said, pointing to a fairly distant tree. Taking off again, Kouden barely skimmed the leaves as he flew towards his childhood home. Jiraiya grunted with annoyance, but easily kept pace.

Kouden almost bounced off the trunk of the wonky tree right into the vegtable garden. Skidding to a stop, he was joined a second later by Jiraiya. Jiraiya whistled. The cabin itself was small looking, but had a second story. It looked like it was built quickly, and repaired later.

"The garden...Kaa-san would never let it grow wild, even when she was sick..." Kouden's voice grew somber, and Jiraiya felt a pang of pity for the kid. If it was true, that Hinata was really dead this time, he'd have to handle another orphan.

Kouden walked to the front door, and opened it, surprised that it wasn't locked. Walking in, Kouden stirred up dust making him and Jiraiya cough.

"Oh! It's...empty!" Kouden said. The room he had just walked into, the kitchen, looked almost the same, but was devoid of pictures, or anything of the sort. There was bits of leaves and straw everywhere, and Kouden figured that animals must have lived here at some point in time.

Turning to the right, Kouden opened the door to his Mother's room somewhat shyly. He had always hesitated going into there when he was a child. Walking in, he saw that there was a crate in the corner, and the desk Hinata wrote on, but nothing else.

"Hmm...Hinata-san seemed to like it simple, eh?" Jiraiya said, looking up as his head brushed the ceiling.

"She was short too." Kouden laughed. Reaching for the closet, he pulled the door open.

A flash of orange and black, a few loud noises, and a painfull scratch to the face later, and Kouden was sitting on his rear infront of the closet. Looking at Jiraiya, he saw that the frog sennin held a small fox by the scruff of his neck. The fox was yipping weakly, and tried to squirm it's way free.

"Hahaha. How ironic. You ok, Kouden?" Kouden nodded and rolled to his knees. Peering into the closet closer, Kouden saw that the fox had made a home using old pallets that were left behind. He was about to stand up when he thought he heard a small mewling. Peering in closer, he saw that there were three small kits."Oi! Ero-sennin! Look what I found!" Kouden said, bringing out the small kits. Cradling them in his arms, Kouden stroked one of their heads. They were hardly bigger than a kitten, and their tails were almost as fluffy as themselves.

Jiraiya blinked, and the clever vixen used that moment to twist herself around in Jiraya's hand. Slipping out of his grasp, she darted at Kouden. Pouncing at the blonde boy, the fox yipped loudly before scrambling out of the room and house, kits dangling from her mouth.

"Ahh...Itai! She got my face again!" Kouden yelled. Holding a hand to his already swollen face.

"Now, what have we learned about wildlife?" Jiraiya said, laughing and trying to sound professional at the same time. Kouden grumbled and sat up. He looked down when something rolled onto his leg.

"Oh! She forgot one!" He said, cradling the small kit that was trying to curl into itself. Jiraiya turned back and saw his young apprentice cuddling a baby fox. His eye twitched as Kouden looked up at him, pleading with his big white eyes.

"Arg. Fine. You can keep it as long as you look after it. Happy early birthday." Kouden narrowed his eyes.

"Hey! Not fair! You didn't get this for me! I found it...uh..." Kouden picked the small kit up and looked at it. "Her! I found her!" Jiraiya rolled his eyes and left the room. Kouden, still snuggling his new pet, followed him.

Back in the kitchen, Kouden, on impulse reached for a small drawer by the sink, and opened it. He was surprised that there were still tea towels in it though. Picking up the thickest one, the blonde wrapped the kit up to keep her warm, and held her close under his arm.

"Ne, Kid, I saw stairs, what's up there?" Jiraiya said, pointing to the small set behind the old dust covered fridge.

"My room. I helped Kaa-san build it when I was 4. Here, let me go up first. If it's still messy, I dont want you to see it." Kouden said. Jiraiya sighed, but turned around and looked back into Hinata's room. Glancing for a second, something caught Jiraiya's eye. Moving closer, and much to his dismay, Jiraiya saw old and worn dark stains on the floor, soaked into the wood itself. This wasn't looking good for Kouden.

"Ano sa, ano sa! Ero-sennin! You can come and see...what are you looking at?" the blonde said, his white eyes staring at the floor.

"Ah...Kouden...I'm sorry to have to break this to ya', but see that? That's blood. It's old, and it stained the floor. Your mother was probably killed. Robbed too. It explains the lack of things." Jiraiya put his hand on Kouden shoulder, but Kouden just sighed.

"Yea, your probably right. But it's nice to have an idea about how she died. I just wish I knew where her body was." Jiraiya blinked.

"That's it? No outburst?" Kouden looked up at the taller man. His white eyes were shining with unshed tears, but his voice betrayed no emotion.

"What's the use? I'de never find the killers. I would rather waste my time training, or taking care of...Aki. Yea, do you like the name Aki? Seems appropriate since we found her in the fall." Jiraiya gave Kouden a sad smiled and nodded.

"It's a good name. You'de better take care of her, maybe when we get back to Konoha, you can ask the Inuzuka's if it's possible for a fox to be used as a nin-animal." Kouden's grin came back, and Jiraiya wondered what Kouden would be like, had he not been raised cool and calm like a Hyuuga should be, but rash and loud like the Uzumaki he was.

"Ehh, Kid...Do you want to stay here for the night?" Kouden looked down.

"No. Too many memories. Besides, there is a small village north of here, about an hour's jump, maybe shorter now that we dont have to pretend not to be shinobi." Jiraiya smirked, and left the small cabin. Kouden hesitated for a second, sparing once last glance at his mother's room, before he shifted Aki in his arms and made sure she was warm, before leaving.

They reached the village in under an hour, only stopping at the gates where much to Kouden's delight, the guard recognized him. Kouden headed off to the grocery stands to get some milk for Aki, while Jiraiya scouted around to see if the small village held any bars or men's clubs.

At nightfall, they met at the same hotel Kouden had spent his last night in the village in.

"Ero-sennin! I saw you at the bar! Are you drunk?" Kouden said, recoiling at the smell of sake on his teacher's breath.

"No! Child, no. I am not a, uh...a doorknob. Now let's go to sleep." Kouden jumped back as his teacher fell face forward into the dirt. Kouden sighed and awkwardly pulled the larger man, one handed due to Aki, up the stairs and into the room he had bought.

Dropping him in the corner, Kouden layed his pallet out, and making sure Aki was safe, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"WHAT!" A loud voice echoed through the small cave. Loose rocks and bits of rubble tumbled down the walls, and onto a certain red head who sat cowering against a tan haired man.

"G-g-gomen...Leader-sama! We took a small mission for funds, and when we got back, she was gone! We were only gone for two days!" Tatari stammered, her green eyes filled with tears that she was desparatly trying to hold back.

"The jutsu! It's going to be ready ANY DAY, and you chose NOW to LOSE HER?! INCOMPETANCE!" The leader shouted. The other members of Manjushage were as far away from the horribly frightened red head, as they could be, without being too obvious, with the exception of Satoshi, who was still grasping Tatari's hand.

Brushing some loose dust off of the black cloak that donned the leader's shoulders, the leader brought the sleeves of the robe together before speaking again.

"I am patient. I've waited this long, I can wait longer." The leader turned, and the black robe flared. "But I wont wait too long."

The only other hooded member stood up and Tatari caught a glimpse of hazel eyes, and bright red lips. The hooded figures retreated into the darkness of the cave, and Tatari nearly collapsed. The only thing holding her up, was Satoshi's arm around her waist.

Tatari looked up at Satoshi, pure devotion shining in her tear filled eyes. Satoshi was glaring at the Leader and the hooded figure. A few moments passed before anyone moved, and much to Tatari's dismay, it was Kasumi who made her way over to Tatari. Stopping right in front of the taller girl woman, Kasumi made a face, and stuck her tongue out.

Tatari saw red, and before she knew it, Kasumi was sitting on the ground, her face in a state of shock, and a large bruise forming around one of her bright blue eyes. Tatari shook her fist, it was starting to throb. Turning back to Satoshi, she motioned for him to follow her, and the two left down the lighted tunnel that led to the entrance.

Just when Tatari could start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, she heard Kasumi yell.

"MY FACE! AHH! THAT STUPID BITCH! IM GONNA KILL HER!" When Tatari turned around, she saw an angry Kasumi storming at her, her left eye was purple and swollen. Tatari couldn't help but laugh, which only added fuel to the fire. Kasumi yelled again, and raked her nails across Tatari's face. Satoshi gasped. Holding her cheek, Tatari looked up at Kasumi with wide eyes.

Without so much as a word, and before Satoshi could stop her, Tatari, still wide eyed and shocked looking, pulled a kunai from her sleeve and rammed it into Kasumi's shoulder up to the handle. Kasumi's scream was loud enough to make Satoshi cover his ears.

"Tatari! That was unneccessary!" Satoshi yelled. Tatari deflated a little bit, but didn't budge to help Kasumi as Satoshi, who was just being joined by a distressed Yamato, pulled the Kunai out of Kasumi's shoulder, and using the small medic jutsu he knew, stopped the bleeding.

Satoshi stood up, leaving a crying Kasumi to Yamato, and walked over to Tatari. Standing in front of her, Satoshi didn't say a word, but instead reached out and healed Tatari's scratches. After then green glow of Satoshi's hand died down, Tatari turned her head away.

"Tatari. Just let it go. We both know that Kasumi is a silly little girl. Let's go." Tatari didnt look back at Satoshi but scrunched her nose up and stood.

She grabbed Satoshi's cloak and pulled him towards the exit, and the two left without a word.

* * *

Sasami sneezed, and her two ANBU escorts looked down at her.

"I think someone is talking about me! I hope it's something good!" The shorter ANBU chuckled. Sasami grinned, but it quickly died when she realized where she was.

A pit of nausea arose in Sasami's stomach, as she thought about what her brother would like after all these years. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't notice the ANBU's stop untill she smacked into the taller one.

"Wha-?" She said, startled. The ANBU looked forward, and Sasami followed their masked gazes. There, kicking and punching a log, was a platinum blonde boy, a few years older than herself.

"Aniki?" She said quietly, but said blonde stopping punching and turned his head in her direction. She saw, almost as if it were in slow motion, his eyes widen, then his mouth opened, and he mouthed,

"Migoto-chan?" Everything whirled back into it's proper timeframe as Sasami took a small step forward, and then broke out into a run. Jumping into her brother's open arms, she cried out,

"Aniki! I thought you were dead! Konoha said that both of the Keii's registered as ninja were dead!" Keii hugged her tighter, and brushed her tears away.

"Shh...Don't cry. I came back here, I needed to help Jii-sama." Sasami nodded and buried her head deeper into her brother's robes.

"Do you want to go and get something to eat? Do you still like dango?" Keii said, after Sasami's tears stopped. She nodded and smiled.

"Yo. ANBU, are you still going to shadow us, or what?" The taller ANBU looked down at the shorter one, and said in a low voice,

"No. We were to escort Migoto-hime to you. Yondaime-sama expects you to look after your sister, and call for assistance if needed." Keii nodded, and the ANBU disapeared before Sasami could blink.

"That's better. All ANBU are dreadful. No personalities what so ever. But you must be hungry, lets go, Migoto-chan." Sasami started to walk, the long sleeves of her top swaying down a few inches passed her fingers.

"Why do you call me Migoto too? I mean, I can't remember if you called me that before you left...I only remember Kaa-sama calling me that once." Keii's face softened, and Sasami smiled at how the sun caught his pale hair.

"I've always called you Migoto. But if you prefer something else?" Sasami looked down.

"Uhn...I'm used to Sasami...Migoto seems more...formal..."

"Sa-sa-mi-chaaan! Yes, that sounds much cuter." Sasami looked up and saw that her brother's face was in a wide smile. It was infectious, and before she knew it, Sasami and Keii were laughing and sharing funny stories of the 8 years they missed out on. It wasn't long before they came upon the dango stand, and Sasami's stomach growled in anticipation.

Keii pushed the fabric back, and stepped under it, only to see that the stand was occupied by a few people.

"Oh! Katoki-sensei! What are you doing here?" The man with his back to Keii turned around, and revealed that he was talking to a long, dark haired girl, with peircing pale eyes. Sasami walked in behind Keii and saw the people staring at her brother.

"Hinata-sama! Katoki-san!" Keii looked down at his sister with surprise.

"Heheh, Hey, Keii, Migoto-sama." Hinata blinked and paled.

"Hinata-sama! I thought you were dead! Kouden-kun thinks you are too! Why didn't you ever send him a letter, or talk to him, or, or...something!" The entire stand was silent, even the dango cooks. All the eyes were drawn to the white eyed Hyuuga.

"I want him to think I am dead. For my own personal reasons. I'd be happier if you didn't mention it to my son, Sasami-chan." She said in a dead sounding voice. Sasami was taken aback. She'd never heard that tone come out of her best friend's mother before.

"Erm, I take it you are here for dango, Keii? Me and Hinata-san were just leaving...uhm...Bye! See you both tomorrow at 8 sharp." The tall man said before dragging Hinata out of the stand.

Keii sat down, and motioned for Sasami to do the same.

"You know Katoki-sensei? And that woman?" Sasami nodded.

"Yea, she is my boy-er, best friend's mother. She is very kind, but I can't, for my life, imagine why she is here! Of all places!"

"She was Hyuuga, correct?" Sasami turned to Keii.

"...Yes...Kouden-kun told me that his mother was a cousin of the Hyuuga, and that her parents escaped the cold ways of the main and branch families." Keii nodded.

"She has guts to come here. Most Hyuuga wouldn't step foot on Kumo soil." Sasami frowned.

"Why?" Keii was silent for a minute, before ordering dango for him and Sasami.

"About 25 years ago, there was a rebel movement made by a group of Kumo jounin and chuunin. The war had just ended, and the group that was sent with the alliance treaty were murdered by this group, who took their place. The infiltrated Konohagakure, and tried to kidnap the main family heiress. The kidnapper was killed by the girl's father. Ever since then, both Hyuuga and Kumo-nin have been treading lightly around each other." Keii looked up, but was interrupted by Sasami's giggling.

"What? What's so funny, ne?" Sasami giggled louder before saying,

"Well, now that you just gave me a long-winded speech, I just noticed that you have a funny accent." Keii sweatdropped, and wrapped his arm around his sister.

"Accent, ne? Well accent this!" he said, and grinded his knuckles against Sasami's head, messing her pink hair up. Sasami laughed and yelled for him to stop.

"Order up." The Lady behind the counter said. Keii stopped noogieing his sister and grinned at the Lady who gave him the dango.

"Arigatou, Chi-san!" Sara nodded and smiled at the younger girl with messed up hair.

"Is that your girlfriend, Keii-kun? She sure is pretty." Sasami looked up at Chi, and Keii laughed.

"Ah, no. This is my little sister, Mi-er-Sasami." Chi's eyebrows raised.

"Sister? Now that you mention it, you two do look alike." Chi paused before squesszing one of Sasami's cheeks. "You're still cute though." She said, grinning widely. Sasami blushed and rubbed her cheek.

Keii passed her a dango stick, and continued to talk about his childhood.

"Oy! I said 8! You're late!" Katoki barked from across the private courtyard. Keii's eye twitched, and Sasami tried to hide behind her brother.

"Er, Katoki-sensei, it's 8:03." Katoki's eyes narrowed.

"It's still late. You will never acheive raikage if you are late. Now you can go to the logs, and practice the last set I taught you. Migoto-sama, I saw that you were a genin, I would like to assess you, if that's ok." Katoki said, his voice going soft and respectful when he talked to the pink haired girl.

"A-ah, please...just call me Sasami...And you dont need my permission to asses my skills." Katoki grinned at her and said,

"So can you tell me what skills you posess? Any special moves?" Sasami scrunched her nose for a second and said,

"Well, Okaa-sama and Aneue both taught me in the arts of pressure points, before they...Anyway, Tsunade-sama, and Sakura-ne-chan taught me medical arts, and Shizune-sensei just started to teach me advanced medical jutsu. I can do the basic taijutsu as well, I adjusted it to fit me and my style of fighting better though. I prefer medic work to fighting though. I like to saves lives, not take them away." Katoki looked at the girl, and was silent for a full minute. The only sound was Keii hitting the stumps repeatedly.

"Well, I'de like to fight you, just to see how well your pressure point taijutsu is. I know a few people who favour that style, and if you wanted to, you could probably convince one of them to help train you when you are staying at the Hoku palace." Sasami drooped. She had forgotten that she was about to become queen of an entire district. The largest one at that.

"A-alright. Are there any rules?" Sasami said, composing her self.

"Saa...Alright, no weapons. No medic anything, untill the fight is over. No Nin or Genjutsu. This is a strictly Tai fight." Sasami nodded, and slipped into her usual stance. Katoki looked at it, and for a second thought that she was messy in her basic stance.

But looking again, as he himself slipped into a basic academy stance, he saw that the way she tensed herself, the stance she was using, was perfectly fitted for her.

"Come." Katoki said. Sasami nodded, and ran at Katoki, her left hand out, pointing her first two fingers. Her right hand was drawn back in a fist. Katoki smirked. Drawing back his own fist, he opened the palm so that he wouldnt hurt her.

Sasami came within two steps of Katoki, and he rushed his open palm at her. As contact was made, Sasami was still. But when Katoki looked down, he saw that Sasami had caught his hand with her right fist, and her left hand had poked a few points on his wrist.

Swearing, Katoki jumped back, but Sasami rushed again, catching him off balance. Thrusting her fingers at him again, Katoki swung an awkward punch, but Sasami caught it again. Instead of stopping though, she used the momentum and pushed herself up and over Katoki's head. Swinging down around, Sasami managed to kick Katoki square in the back with the bottoms of her feet.

Katoki fell forwards onto his hands and knees. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that the pink girl was sweating and breathing slightly hard, but stood in her odd stance, ready to fight.

A pain in his wrist made Katoki look down. He saw the wrist she poked give out, and Katoki landed face first in the dirt.

"Aah! Katoki-sensei! Are you ok?" Sasami said, rushing to Katoki's side, helping him up.

"Im fine. That was great." Katoki said, grinning up at Sasami. Looking over at the training posts, he saw that Keii was rolling on the ground laughing.

"Oy! Brat! What's so funny?!" Katoki yelled. Keii got up slowly, holding his sides.

"You got beat by my baby sister!" Katoki glared at him, but Keii continued to laugh. Turning back to Sasami, Katoki said,

"You have decent skills! If you do encounter assasins in the palace, they wont know what's coming. Those pressure point attacks would work well with a chakra scalpel...assuming you know how to do them?" Sasami nodded. Dropping his arms to his sides, Katoki's left wrist flopped.

"Er...when does this wear off?" Sasami giggled.

"I didn't hit it fully, or very hard. You should be able to move it in a few minutes." Katoki nodded and laughed.

"Your grandfather will be glad to hear that you can defend for yourself, quite well. Actually, I could say that in a year or two, you could wipe the floor with Rumiko-hime." Sasami gasped.

"R-really? Aneue was a very good shinobi...I remember that much." Katoki frowned.

"She was good at what she did best, genjutsu...but she wasn't very good at ninjustu, and she was barely decent with Tai." Sasami was silent for a second, contemplating her thoughts.

"Well, Sasami-sama, I suggest that you go and train with your brother. Maybe spar him if he wants to. Maybe you can get him to teach you a few jutsu as well." Sasami nodded and sauntered off to her still laughing brother.

Katoki turned back and stepped inside the large building and looked around.

"My my. My grandaughter seems to be tough. Konoha truly brings up the best in their shinobi." Katoki stiffened and turned to the throne-like seat in the back of the large chamber.

"Saa, Yondaime-sama! Yes, Sasami-sama seems to be very well educated. Maybe it was for the best that Ditama took her away." The Raikage was silent for a few seconds. Katoki knew he was walking on thin ice.

"Mayhaps. Mayhaps. But that is not the issue that I want to talk to you about." Katoki blinked.

"Talk? You were looking for me?" Yondaime nodded.

"I want to talk to you about Hinata-san."

"Ah. Did she do something? Today was supposed to be her first mission, correct?" Yondaime chuckled and said,

"Quite the contrary. She's amazing! She was assigned to an easy C rank mission, with another chuunin, and the two pulled it off in three hours. The mission was supposed to take at least a full day, and she came back with next to no injuries. Her partner said that the only injury he took was him missing a tree branch as he was jumping. He said that her medical abilities are amazing as well." Katoki was grinning, and slightly blushing.

"I'm an excellant judge of character, ne?" He said, rubbing the back of his head. Yondaime laughed loudly, the echo bouncing off the walls, and making Katoki wince ever so slightly from the loud noise.

"That you are. That you are." Yondaime finished

* * *

End Chapter 19

Language, Tatari, language! XD


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Hinata stuck the slightly bent and rusted key into the lock on the burgandy painted door. Jarring it to the right a few millimetres, Hinata turned the key, and pulling up on the rusted doorknob, she quickly twisted it and pushed the door open. Taking her sandals off, Hinata dropped her bag on top of them.

"Welcome home. How many nin did you kill today?" Katoki said. He was sitting on their pallets as if it were a couch, and was eating homemade dango, while watching the small TV. Hinata sighed and put her hands on her hips.

"None, thank you very much. But I was called to the hospital again, that's why im late. Today was hectic. The Sound nin's are getting frisky. Three chuunin were killed, and 2 genin were injured in a stupid raid on the border." Katoki grimaced. Patting the folded and stacked pallet, Hinata walked over and sat down.

On the small tv set, various images were popping up, hurting Hinata's eyes. Yawning and rubbing those eyes, Hinata stood up after a few minutes.

"I'm gonna go take a shower. After, do you wanna go to that other dango stand?" Katoki looked at her. His blue eyes were narrowed.

"Why not Chi's stand?" Hinata turned towards the small bathroom at the rear of the one room apartment.

"She stares at you all the time, and I dont like it." Katoki laughed and shoved another roll in his mouth.

Half an hour later, Katoki and a clean Hinata were walking down the street. Hinata was still patting her damp hair down, but it was mostly unconcious as she told Katoki of exploits on the border.

"Do you know anyone from Konoha named...Koba..no, Kiba! Yea, Kiba?" Hinata stopped mid word.

"What? Why?" She said, focusing her pale eyes on the taller man.

"Konoha sent a few Jounin and ANBU over to seal that peace treaty for good, and the only one whose name I caught was Kiba. He had spiky brown hair, and a large dog with him." Hinata was silent for a moment.

"Yea, that was him. Him and his family run a kennel, and train their dogs as nin-dogs. Is the convoy still here?" Hinata asked, as Katoki steered her into small tea shop.

"I think so, we can go look for them tomorrow if you want? Does Kiba know you are alive?" Hinata scrunched her nose up and shook her head as they sat at a small table in the back.

"I wanted dango, and I don't think seeing him would be a good idea. Even if he knew I was alive, he got very protective of 'Kasumi'."

After they had ordered their food, and were happily eating away, Katoki said,

"Hinata, you need to help me find a new apartment."

"Hnn?" She said, her face full of onigiri.

"Well, you said so yourself a few times, that it was too small. And besides, You said you were going to move out as soon as you established yourself. You pretty much did that after your first mission, and it's been a month since then." Hinata blushed, and bowed her head.

"A-ano...Sumimasen...I can find my own apartment then. I didn't realize I was bothering you." Katoki grimaced at the sadness that laced her voice. Waving his hand in front of his face, he said,

"No, no! You heard me wrong. WE need to look for a new apartment. I'm not kicking you out, you can stay as long as you please. But now that I have a roomate, I too have noticed that size is an issue." Hinata looked up, still blushing, and smiled. Katoki laughed again because her cheeks were slightly puffed out from the rice.

Hinata swallowed with a bit of difficulty before looking at Katoki again. Katoki's gaze was not at her face however, it was a little lower. Hinata reddened and looked down to see if she had something on her jacket.

"Why do you do that?" Katoki said. Hinata blinked and looked at Katoki.

"...Do what?" She said, and Katoki pointed at her chest. Hinata looked down and saw that her index fingers were tapping together. Whipping her hands to her sides, Hinata let out a quiet curse.

"It was a nervous habit from when I was younger. I used to be really, really, unbearbly shy. I suppose that my fingers will always try to do that when I am embarrassed..." She trailed off. Katoki's cheeks were turning a bit red.

"Saa! I didn't mean to embarrass you! I'm sorry! Heh heh, I haven't had a girlfriend before..." Hinata's eyes widened and her face turned 8 shades of red. Katoki nearly matched her before he flustered and waved his hand in front of his face.

"Saa! I meant a friend that's a girl! I'm sorry! That came out wrong!" Katoki nearly yelled. The few people in the small shop were staring at them now. Hinata closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. Opening them again, she looked Katoki straight in the eye, and said,

"It's alright! Haha, my genin cell was composed of two boys, and my closest family member was my elder cousin, also a boy. I'm used to the embarrassment." She finished off with a large grin, and Katoki sighed and deflated, still rubbing the back of his head. Hinata ignored the small pang of hurt in her heart and continued to listen to Katoki brag about his latest mission.

"Konkonkon!" A small orange ball of fur tried to run to the blonde boy that stood a few feet away from her, but being only a month or so old, she wobbled a bit and slipped on the smooth tile. The boy laughed and picked the kit up, cradling her to his neck and speaking quiet nonsense into her ear.

Jiraiya rolled his eyes. The boy had been very cheerful this past month, despite the news that made him an orphan. That fox kit of his may be annoying, but Jiraiya was wise enough to silently thank it for keeping the kid's spirits up.

Sipping another mouthful of warm sake, the old man sighed. They were currently staying in a guest room at the Kazekage tower in Sunagakure. The Kazekage it seemed, took an instant liking to the blonde boy for obvious reasons.

_Tat tat tat_ The blonde looked up from his cuddling and then looked at Jiraya, who merely flicked his head toward the door. The boy got up and opened the door. Looking down he saw a small red haired girl who appeared to be about 2 or 3 years old. Looking up at the boy with large turquoise eyes, she didn't say anything, but looked pleadingly at the furry bundle in his hands.

Behind the girl was a woman who was barely taller than the blonde himself. She had sandy brown hair, and near black eyes. When the boy looked up at her, she bowed her head and said,

"Ah, Kouden-san, Kaisa-chan was wondering if she could see Aki-chan again...she seems to have taken a fancy to her." Kouden looked down at the little girl and nearly melted. Kaisa was starting to form tears at the edges of her large eyes, and the hand that wasn't in her mouth was up, reaching at Kouden.

"Ahh, Of course! Anything to make Kaisa-chan smile." He stepped back from the door way, and invited the two in.

"Ah, me. What can I owe the pleasure of this visit, Matsuri-san?" Jiraiya called from his seat by the window of the room. Matsuri bowed and ushered Kaisa towards Kouden who was kneeling down for the girl to pet Aki.

"Sumimasen, Jiraiya-sama... My husband was busy with paperwork and the upcoming chuunin exams. Kaisa-chan said she wanted to see Aki-chan, and I had nothing better to do. I trust I am not bothering you...?" Jiraiya chuckled and waved her off.

"No no, not at all child. Here, come sit and have a drink." Matsuri did as asked, and after a few minutes of watching her daughter squeal everytime she touched the small fox, she spoke.

"Hmm. It seems like my daughter has taken a liking to your apprentice. Maybe one day, if he gets tired of you, he can come and be Kaisa's caretaker. Temari-ne-san is only around for 6 months a year, and Kankuro...well, I don't really see how Gaara can stand even letting him watch her for a few hours... I'm afraid that he is going to let her play with his puppets, or let her get hurt, or lost... sigh " Jiraiya laughed again, and said,

"I doubt that Kouden will get tired of me. I've been feuling him with jutsus and chakra control excercises. That boy is a lot like his father, a bundle of energy. I doubt he could stand just watching children for days on end." Jiraiya nodded and took another sip of his sake. Matsuri pursed her lips, but sat back. The boy amused her. When she saw the look on Gaara's face when he learned of Kouden's parentage, she nearly fainted. She knew Gaara had opened up over the years, but showing emotion in public was still hard for him. The shear amount of shock that he displayed, made her mind implode.

_"Aah! Kazekage-sama! It's been a while." Jiraiya boomed, as a small woman led them into the Kazekage's office. Gaara looked up from the paper he had been reading and smiled pleasently when he saw the tall white haired man._

_"It has, Jiraiya-san. I'm glad that you made it to Suna without incident. The Iwa nin have been getting restless, and I've been receiving more and more reports of raids to the small countries that separate us. I fear a war is on the brink of spilling into the wind country." Jiraiya looked down at Kouden, who was half hid behind the him, and saw that Kouden's face was one of awe. _

_Gaara followed Jiraiya's gaze untill it stopped on the blonde haired boy. Gaara blinked, and dropped his stack of papers. The small woman, now standing beside him, looked at the red head with bewilderment. Looking back up at Jiraiya, the white haired man nearly laughed out loud._

_"This, Gaara-sama, is Uzumaki Kouden. The only son of your former best friend." Gaara's face was one to behold. His mouth was agape, his turquoise eyes looked like they were bulging, and his hands were trembling._

_"...what?" Was all he managed, before sitting down on his chair with a thump, and a cloud of dust. The woman beside him was agape as well, but not at Kouden, at Gaara. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she said, _

_"A-are you alright?" Gaara didn't respond, but instead closed his mouth and placed his hand over the woman's._

_Gaara's blank stare was interuppted by a roaring laughter. Looking up, he saw Jiraiya wiping a tear from his eyes, and the young blonde beside him was looking at him with surprise. _

_Taking another look at the boy Jiraiya claimed to be an Uzumaki, Gaara noticed that he had pearly white eyes. He also noted that the boy's nose was more upturned than Naruto's, but shook his head in dismay of how he even rememebered that detail._

_"Alright, alright. Let me explain, Kazekage. We all know of that tragic day in January when we lost not only one, but two of the best shinobi in generations, right?" Gaara nodded, still unable to speak, and still staring at the small boy, who was trying to be inconspicuous._

_"Well, It turns out that Hyuuga Hinata-san, was still alive, and stayed alive to raised Kouden untill he was old enough to become a Konoha shinobi." Gaara furrowed his brow, and unconciously touched his 'ai' tatoo._

_"Hyuuga...Hinata? Was she that dark haired girl with white eyes I saw hanging around Naruto?" Jiraiya nodded. Gaara's brow furrowed even more. "But...I thought, I was told that Hyuuga-san had been the one that had ki-... er...How did this happen?" Gaara held out his hand in the direction of Kouden, who started._

_"Ah. Well, Naruto told me, one fine day at the hot springs, that on the mission to rescue Sasuke for the final time, she had been knocked down by Sasuke, and mumbled her feelings in her sleep. I left the village shortly after, and Naruto was still confused about the girl. I'm assuming that they finally got toghether." Gaara blinked again and sat back, absorbing the information._

_"Well, where is Hinata-san now?" Gaara said. Kouden looked down, and Jiraiya stopping grinning._

_"She's dead. We visited her house, and it had been robbed. There was dried blood on the floor as well." Gaara nodded somberly._

_"What is your name again, boy?" Gaara finally said. Kouden jumped, but replied in a slightly squeaky voice._

_"U-uzumaki Kouden, Kazekage-sama..." Gaara's face molded back into it's emotionless expression, which looked weird when he gave a dry chuckle._

_"Kouden, eh? Your Mother had a dark sense of humour." Kouden shuffled his feet. Jiraiya raised his hand and opened his mouth, but was cut off by the door to the office swinging wide._

_"Gaara! The Iwa have just demolished the village hidden in the Smoke!" Gaara stood up and glared at the messenger._

_"Kankuro, are there any survivors?" Kankuro nodded and said, _

_"A few smoke nin, about 70 of them total, survived the attack due to their absence in the village at the time. Our nin have also rounded up about 200 civilians. We are still looking for more survivors, but the scouts say it is unlikely we will find any more..." Gaara nodded._

_"Go, and set up a refuge camp near the edge of this city. Transport the survivors here, when they get here, I will debreif you all. Dismissed." Kankuro nodded and slipped out the door. _

_Turning to Kouden and Jiraiya, Gaara frowned and said, _

_"I'm sorry...I will have to meet with you later. But for now, Matsuri-chan, can you escort our guests to the 6th floor?" Matsuri smiled warmly at Gaara and nodded._

"So, any more word on the Iwa raid?" Jiraiya said, breaking Matsuri's thoughts. Matsuri blinked and looked at Jiraiya.

"Er, well, from what I've heard, since yesturday the ANBU have gathered up the survivors and set up a refugee camp on the village edge. The Smoke nin arrived this morning, but the civilians are still making their way." Jiraiya nodded.

"I bet this move has sealed a concrete treaty with Smoke." He said, staring at Kaisa who had just jumped onto Kouden's back, and was pulling his hair to try and stay on.

"I'm sure it has. Ah, Kaisa-chan, dont pull Kouden-san's hair. I'm sure he doesnt like it!" Matsuri said. Kaisa spoke a few words of toddler language, and let go. Kouden sighed, and looked at Jiraiya. His pale eyes were watering a bit, but Jiraiya just laughed.

_Thunk...Thunk thunk!_ Kaisa started to cry and Matsuri went over to comfort her. Jiraiya looked at Kouden, and the blonde boy nodded and went over to the door, opening it slowly.

The the door was partly open, the person was was banging on it, shoved it open, and stood in the entrance.

"Ahh, sorry, kid. I didn't realize anyone was there!" The tall man said to Kouden, sitting on the floor, and rubbing his nose where the door hit him. All was silent for a few moments untill Matsuri sighed.

"Kankuro... How did you find me?" The man at the door grinned.

"Dont worry, I came to see Kaisa-chan! I just got back from my mission and I wanted to give her the gift I bought." As he said that, he reached down and picked up the small red headed girl and laughed as she giggled and ran her hands over his purple face make-up. Kankuro wasn't wearing his hood, but his hair wasn't dusty, so Kouden assumed he had just pushed it down.

Pulling a package slightly larger than his fist out of the pocket of his black pants, he handed it to his neice who unwrapped it eagerly. When the ripping of paper was said and done, Kaisa was staring at the small wooden snake that wiggled and wobbled when she moved it. Matsuri sighed again. Loudly to make her point.

"See, Kaisa-chan, when you are older, and you start to use chakra, I can teach you to make it move on its own! Everyone knows you are gonna be puppet master just like your uncle!" Kaisa giggled and wobbled the snake around. Jiraiya held back a chuckle, and Matsuri's eye twitched. Kankuro put the girl down, who immediatly tottered over to Kouden to show him and Aki her new toy.

"Have you even _seen_ Gaara yet?" Matsuri said. Kankuro's grinned dropped as he promptly turned around.

"No need. I'm here." A calm voice said from behind the tall brown haired man.

"Gaara-sama! Join us. It seems to be quite the party I'm having!" Jiraiya said, sitting unforgotten on the small bed. Gaara bowed his head and entered. Kankuro scratched the back of his head before saying,

"A-ano...Sorry I didn't check in first, I wanted to give Kaisa-chan her present... But Now that you know im here and alive, I have to go see Junko now. See you all later!" Kankuro waved and exited.

"Junko? Who's Junko?" Matsuri said, as she closed the door after her husband. Gaara shrugged as he observed his daughter teasing Aki with the head of the small snake. The kit was trying to bat it, and everytime she missed, a peal of laughter filled the room, followed by a giggle from Kouden.

"I don't know. Probably another one of Kankuro's latest flings. You know how he is, keep one for a day, get another for the week. I try not to pry. I'm almost afraid of what I would find." Matsuri gave a dry laugh.

"Matsuri-chan...I came to fetch Kaisa for her fitting..." Matsuri's eyes widened as she consulted the alarm clock on the night table between Jiraiya and Kouden's beds.

"Oh! Oh no! I forgot! I'm sorry, Jiraiya-sama, Kouden-kun, we must be going. I will see you tomorrow, yes?" Jiraiya nodded and Matsuri picked up the small red headed child and hurried out the door. Gaara watched his wife leave before turning around to the white haired man.

"Are you going to attend the function? Its a celebration of the formation of a peace treaty between Sand and Smoke." Jiraiya pulled out a pipe and lit it, puffing once before answering.

"Already? You just rescued them two days ago!" Jiraiya said.

"Have all of the civilians reached the refuge base? Godaime-sama?" Kouden asked, playing with Aki's fur. Gaara glanced at the young boy and said,

"Most. A few refuse to leave their homes, but our ANBU are trying to convince them otherwise." Kouden nodded his head once and continued.

"Was there alot of civillian casualties?" Gaara was silent for a second before responding.

"Quite alot. It seems Iwa wasn't aiming to destroy the just the village, but everything in it as well. But Smoke's evacution system is unusually good at what they do, the total count of civilians so far is just over 300. Why are you so intrested? Being so young, and all." Kouden pursed his lips.

"I'm a Hyuuga too. As much as I'd rather be learning new jutsu, Neji-ni-san made sure I knew politics, to a degree." Gaara turned to look at Jiraiya.

"It seems Hinata-san had good intuition, lending you to her cousin. At least you're intelligent." Jiraiya chuckled and mumbled under his breath,

"Unlike your father." Kouden snapped his head up and glared daggers at Jiraiya, who raised his hands up in a surrender.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune yelled, bursting throught the Hokage's office doors. Tsunade sat up and blinked.

"Huh? Wha-? I'm awake!" She said, peeling a report off of her face. Shizune gave a quick sigh, but continued.

"Kemurigakure has been completely demolished by Iwa-nin!" Tsunade bolted straight up again, and said in an angry voice,

"What? When! How many survivors?" Shizune pulled out a paper from the pile on her arms, and Tsunade quickly skimmed it.

_Tsunade, the Tsuchikage sent Iwa nins to the Smoke village, and completely demolished it. Our Suna ANBU were sent out to recover what we could of the survivors, and bring them back to the refugee camp we have set up on the edge of the village. A count of surviors after the first night is approximately, 70 Kemuri nin, and little over 300 civillians. We might recover more in the next few days, but the point is that this wasn't an ordinary invasion. This was an extermination._

_I beleive the Tsuchi mean war. We request, that in the case of a full blown attack on Suna, you send your capable shinobi and medic nin. I also request for you to send your best negotiators to help avoid a war as soon as possible. This is the last thing we need. _

_I am aware of your new peace treaty with Kumogakure, I request that you ask them to aid you in negotiating and if it comes to it, fighting this war._

_Sabaku no Gaara, Godaime Kazekage._

Tsunade rubbed her hand against her face, and dropped the letter onto her desk.

"Gaara likes to request things, doesn't he?" Shizune didn't answer, but shifted her feet instead.

"Shizune, I dont need this. I'm getting too old for this." Shizune clicked her tongue.

"It's unfortunate...I really hope this doesn't come to war. Shall I send for some negotiators?" Tsunade looked up and said,

"Yea...Shikamaru, and Kakashi. Oh! Ask Neji to come as well. Ask Sakura to go as backup, and to help with the injured, that'd be great. If you can find one more, send them to my office at once. Just tell them to come straight to me." Shizune nodded, and dumping the small pile of papers on the busty woman's desk, she ran out the doors.

Tsunade glanced at the paper, and leaned back in her chair and sighed. More paperwork.

Shizune sped down the stairs so gracefully, it looked like she was gliding an inch above them. Exiting the spiral stairway, Shizune looked back and forth the streets, and much to her delight, saw Kakashi.

"Oi! Kakashi-kun!" Kakashi, who was slouched over and reading his book while walking, turned his head to look over his shoulder.

"Ah, Shizune! How may I be of...service, this fine afternoon?" Shizune forced back a blush at the way he said that, and instead said,

"Tsunade's office, now." Kakashi's mask twitched, and Shizune saw the impression of a grimace. He put his book away and raised his hands to his shoulders.

"Look, I swear, it wasn't me. Tsunade may think that it was, but I was framed by Gai because I los--"

"Mission, Kakashi-kun, mission. Red code urgent, you need to get there now." Shizune said before dashing off to find the next person.

It wasn't long before Shizune saw a trio of masked and cloaked ANBU sitting on the edge of a roof. Stopping under them, she shouted,

"ANBU-tachi! Are any of you Neji?" The trio shook their heads, and one said,

"Neji-kun is at home, I beleive..." Shizune sighed, that was on the other side of the village. Waving a thanks, Shizune boosted her speed with chakra, and bee-lined it straight to the Uchiha Compound. Joggin past the empty shops, she eventually came upon the main family house. The first thing she saw were 6 children, randomly running around the neatly cared for garden. Not to far away, closer to the porch of the main house were Sakura, Ino, and Temari, chatting and laughing. Ino was holding a new born baby in her arms, and the baby was sleeping soundly.

"Ah! Sakura, you are needed at the Hokage's office, red code!" the trio of mother's looked up at Shizune, who was panting from running across town.

"Shizune-sensei? Red code? Do you know what the emergency is?"

"Classified. Tsunade-sama will fill you in. Temari-san, do you know where Shikamaru-san is?" Temari pointed to the main house. "Uhn, well, Temari, you too. You might want to go, it concerns Suna." Temari's eyes rose past her bangs.

"Ino...?" Ino sighed. Temari hugged her awkwardly and stood up, bringing Shizune into the house after Sakura.

Sakura led them through the main hall, and along another smaller one that led to the private back garden.

"Shikamaru should be here, he likes to watch the clouds with Sasuke, and sometimes Neji when they have time off." Sakura explained as she slid the shoji screen open.

The garden was indeed private. Vine covered walls surrounded it, there was a large maple tree, in which Sasuke was leaning in, near the back, and a small pond in the center. Shikamaru was laying on the grass and sighed when he head the shouji screen slide open.

"Shikamaru-san, you need to be at Tsunade's office, red code." Shikamaru sighed again and sat up.

"Mendokuse." He said, but Shizune was already gone, running through the halls.

Back on the streets again, Shizune used more chakra and made it to Neji's small house in under three minutes.

Knocking on the door, She waited a few seconds before hearing footsteps. Brushing the dust off of her kimono, she snapped her hands back to her sides when the door opened.

"Can I help you?" A girl with brown hair in buns, and white eyes said, eyeing Shizune up and down with her white eyes.

"Er, Is Neji-san here?" Shizune asked. The girl frowned for a second before stepping back and inviting the tired medic in.

"Tou-channn! Tou-chan! You have a visitor!" The girl yelled at the stairs. Shizune heard a shouji screen squeek while being opened, and the pounding of footsteps before Neji appeared at the top of the stairs, wearing nothing but training shorts.

"Ah, Shizune-san, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He said, rubbing his forehead where his curse seal was engraved.

"Tsunade's office, red code." Neji perked and waved his hand before disapearing again. Shizune turned and ran at a moderate pace back to Tsunade's office.

End Chapter 20


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

* * *

Hinata rubbed her hands together, and held them out to the small fire, trying to soak up as much warmth as possible. It was unusually cold out, and raining to boot. Every few minutes, a bolt of lightning would light up the sky, followed by a large clap of thunder.

Everytime she saw the flash, Hinata would start, and Katoki would grab her hand, or slide his arm around her waist. Hinata would blush and be glad that she was wearing her brand new ANBU mask.

The Raikage had deemed her trustworthy after only a month, and after being recommended by Katoki, she was allowed to join ANBU. Her examiner was pleased that she had skill in the medical area, as not many nin did.

"Katoki-kun...how far are we away from the rendevous point with Konoha?" Katoki looked at Hinata, who was shivering slightly, and said,

"Saa...well, It's supposed to be halfway from Konoha and the border of Grass country." Hinata gave a quick nod. They were currently camping right on the border of Fire and Rice country. Katoki had warned Hinata to tread lightly on Rice. Their hidden village, Otougakure, had a grudge against Konoha, since their founder had been so dead set against them. They hated tresspassers, and not to mention all of the raids that they had been doing on the border of Lightning country.

Flash. _BOOM. _Hinata jumped, and let out a squeak. Katoki tried to hold in a chuckle, and slipped his arm around Hinata's waist, pulling her closer. Hinata shivered for a few moments before quietly saying into Katoki's chest,

"This is gonna be a long night." Katoki grimaced slightly under his mask, and hugged his blue haired friend tighter.

* * *

"Can you beleive those Iwa bastards?" Temari said, as she, Shikamaru, Sakura, Neji, and Kakashi skimmed the tree tops on the way to the rendevous point with the Kumo nin. Shikamaru sighed, and Kakashi followed suit.

"Yes. We can. The Iwa have always been bastards, and always will be." Neji said, trying to get Temari to shut up. She had been complaining about them since Tsunade told the group what their mission was.

"Mm. Sakura, Sasuke seemed a little, vexed, that he couldn't come." Sakura smirked and said,

"Some one has to look after Oshi and Sara-chan. Ino can't handle 7 children at once." Temari looked away guiltily. She realized after they left Konoha, that she could have dumped Shikazai and Tayoumaru on Tenten's lap, but she trusted Ino more.

"Are you ok leaving Sara-chan with Sasuke?" Sakura nodded.

"Of course. She's nearly two weeks old. And Sasuke adores her, she's gonna be such a daddy's girl." Temari, Kakashi, and Neji laughed. Shikamaru sighed.

The group, at a loss of words, skimmed the trees in silence. Neji noted the thin layer of fog below them, and was about mention rain, when the fog reminded him of something.

"Oh. Kakashi. Keep your student away from my daughter, please." Kakashi blinked, and everyone turned their heads towards Neji.

"What?" Neji narrowed his eyes.

"Your student, the dark one, I saw him _holding hands_ with my daughter!" Kakashi's only visable eye twitched.

"A little protective are we? Aiko is 12, now, is she not? A genin as well?" Neji moved his head slightly.

"I am not overprotective. When she turns 21, she can have a love life. Before that, no. Never." Temari and Sakura coughed at the same time, and Shikamaru whistled. Kakashi nearly tripped on the branch he just took off from.

"A..alright. Whatever you say, Neji-kun." Neji narrowed his eyes and jumped ahead a few feet.

"Well, that was troublesome. Let's hurry up. The rendevous point is a few hours away, and we want to get there before the Kumo negotiators do." Shikamaru said, hiding a grin behind his ANBU mask.

"Two shinobi are heading this way. 3...no, 4 kilometres away." Neji announced. He stood up from his place at the fire, and looked towards the sky, which was streaked with dawn.

"I presume they are the Kumo negotiators. Temari, you are the only one here who can cook with flair. Can you prepare a meal for them?" Shikamaru said, pulling his deer mask down so it covered his face. Neji pulled his mask down as well. Temari nodded and grabbed the rations from the large bag Sakura had brought.

By the time the two Kumo ANBU made themselves known, Temari had a small and hot meal of rice and meats.

"Hajimemashite, Kumo ANBU. As I see, you have probably been travelling all night, I invite you to a hotmeal and a few hours rest before we head to Sunagakure?" The taller anbu nodded, and both of them bowed.

"I thank you for your hospitality. This will not be forgotten." The tall ANBU took his mask off to reveal a mop of dark gold hair, and a completly scar-free face. His eyes were a startling shade of green, and he had a pleasent smile. The shorter ANBU took her mask off and revealed platinum blonde hair, and stunning blue eyes. Shikamaru noted that she resembled Ino.

The tall man held out his hand to Neji, who was standing closest, and said,

"My name is Katoki, please to make your aquaintance. I again thank you for your hospitality." Neji shook his hand and bowed his head. Katoki moved on to the next person while the blonde ANBU approached Neji.

"I am Kasumi, pleased to meet you. I also thank you greatly for your hospitality." Sakura's eyebrows rose.

"Oho! Kasumi? I thought I recognized your masks. Are you two the ANBU that escorted Sasami-chan?" She blurted out, from the opening of the tent she had slept in.

Katoki bowed and grinned.

"That was us...Sakura-san was it?" Sakura beamed and said,

"Ah, I'm glad you remembered my name!" Katoki blushed slightly and moved over to the blonde Hinata.

"Ah! Breakfast is finished! You two are right on time. I am Nara Temari, by the way. Nice to meet you. I hope you like my food." Hinata smiled and bowed her head as she took a bowl. Katoki did the same, and when everyone had a bowl, a chorus of 'itadekimasu' was heard and the group started to eat.

"Ah! Temari-san, this is delicious!" Katoki exclaimed. everyone else nodded. Temari blushed and waved her hand in front of her face.

"It's not that great. Neji-san's wife cooks much better." Katoki scrunched his nose up, before looking at Hinata, who gave a shrug.

The group didn't leave the small camp untill the sun was halfway up, and the night's chill was fully gone. Rested and full, the group of 7 made their way quickly and silently to the through the small country that separated the Fire country and the Wind country. When the lush forests of the small country abruptly ended, turning into a desert, the sun was on the horizon, and Neji decided to camp.

"Is sand harder to run on than trees, Temari-san? I have never been to Sunagakure before." Hinata said, as they were packing up the camp the next day. Temari stopped for a second before saying,

"Well, It's kinda like using chakra to skim tree tops, but sand is looser. It's second nature to me. I was born and raised here. I live in Konoha 6 months at a time because my husband lives there." Hinata nodded, and tested out Temari's theory on the sand. True to her word, Hinata had never actually been to the Wind country, but she had come close to the border on a mission with Shino and Ino once.

After 10 minutes of running back and forth on the sand, Hinata finally got it to the point where if she pushed off to take the next step, her foot didn't leave more than a slight imprint, and the sand felt like hard dirt, which was easier to run on.

"Alright, Kasumi-san can run on sand, that means we are ready to go." Kakashi announced. Hinata blushed, she didn't know she had been holding them back.

"A..ah...sumimasen. I did not know I was delaying you. It will not happen again." Hinata said with a bright red face and bow. Kakashi looked horrified and waved his hands by his face.

"Oh no! You weren't, I was just telling everyone that you were a quick learner, in a way..." Hinata was still red in the face, and Kakashi grimaced.

"Er...well, I guess that didn't make much sense...Just, just dont worry! I wasn't...Just dont worry. I meant that in a good way." Kakashi scratched the back of his head, and Hinata blushed harder before walking over to Katoki. For the rest of the three hour sand-skim to Sunagakure, Hinata tried to hide herself behind Katoki.

"Thanks for that jutsu, by the way. It's really useful! Where did you learn it?" Katoki said to Hinata. Hinata scrunched up the nose of her partial inversed henge and said,

"Well, all it really is, is an inverted basic henge. I read a theory once, in my clan's library. I kinda made up the rest. I was good at figuring things out on my own." Katoki chuckled under his mask and said,

"Well, I'm glad you warned me that they would never leave me alone if I showed up as is." Hinata was silent for a second before saying,

"Neji probably know something is up. He may not be able to see through it, as I specially tweaked it, but he can see that we have concentrations of chakra on our faces and hair." She looked ahead at Neji who had his byakugan active. Hinata knew that he was staring at them, and she bit back the urge to stick her tongue out.

"Saaa...That old man with the silver hair is staring at us with that weird eye of his!" Katoki whispered loudly to Hinata. Hinata hit the sand with her foot, and used chakra to propell herself forward.

"I know...That's his sharingan. It can see through minor genjutsu and see gathered chakra, but not how it flows." Even though Katoki was wearing a mask, Hinata got the impression that his eyebrows were raised.

"Sharingan? Is he an Uchiha?" Hinata shook her head.

"He isn't, but I dont know how he got it. His student's might know, but I dont." Katoki nodded, and continued to sand-skim.

Hinata nor Katoki said anything much for the rest of the three long hours before they got in sight of Suna.

"Oi! I see civilzation!" Shikamaru said loudly. The tired group perked up and picked their pace up.

Slowing to a stop on the edge of the tents and wagons, Temari said,

"...What is this? These people are not from Suna...their clothes are odd. Oh! Look, a shinobi...from Smoke! What's going on!" Kakashi cocked his head and said,

"Maybe we should wait until we speak to your brother. He will have all the answers." Temari sighed.

* * *

Stacking his papers, Gaara looked around at his small and empty office. Well, not completely empty, in the far corner was a small pile of toys for his daughter and her cousins to play with when they visit.

Sighing, Gaara stood up and faced the window behind him, overlooking most of the village. Matsuri wasn't even here to keep him company.

_Tat tat tat._ Gaara smiled, finally, some company! Even for a few moments. The doors swung open, and much to Gaara's surprise and delight, Temari walked in, followed by the rest of the negotiations group.

"Gaara! Why are all of those people there!" Temari demanded. Katoki gawked at the rudeness of Temari, and Hinata grabbed his arm.

"Ah, Temari ne-san...Those are the smoke village refugees. Two nights ago we held a formal gathering celebrating the peace treaty between us. I would have invited you, but it there wasn't enough time. You would have had fun, there were some...intresting characters there." Gaara inwardly scolded himself for saying that, but showed no emotion on his face.

_"Are you planning on attending, Jiraiya-san?" Jiraiya took a drag from his pipe and grunted._

_"Probably not. I plan on leaving soon. I just wanted to buy supplies here before we head off to the Village hidden in the Waterfall." Kouden stood up, scaring Aki who he had been petting. Pointing his finger at his white haired teacher, Kouden yelled, _

_"WHAT! Ero-sennin! We are so going to that party! We helped the civilians yesturday, we deserve to go! You are not getting out of this! I want to go!" Jiraiya just grunted at the boy._

_"I have to agree with the young Uzumaki here. You did help." Gaara said. Kouden nodded furiously. Jiraiya grimaced and took another drag of his pipe. Kouden crossed his arms and turned to the side._

_"Besides, there might be some hot Suna chicks there. You never know." Gaara's tattoo on his forehead crinkled as he raised his brow. Jiraiya coughed a bit on his smoke, and his cheeks turned a slight pink._

_"After much deliberation, I have decided that we will attend. Now, Gaara-sama, what kind of formal wear should work?" Gaara was taken back at how quick he changed his mind, but finally said, _

_"Nin clothes will work." Jiraiya nodded and as Gaara turned to leave he heard the younge blonde mutter, _

_"Bah. Ecchi jii chan." Gaara let out a chuckle as he closed their apartment door._

"A..ah...I suppose that makes sense. I'm glad everything went well. But we are here for the peace treaty concerning the Iwa-nin, correct?" Temari said. Gaara gave a curt nod.

"Well, they aren't supposed to arrive untill tommorrow, so I have rooms prepared...Not enough for each of you. I wasn't aware that I was going to receive more than 4 visitors." Temari spoke up again.

"Sakura is here to help with any injuries the Smoke need." Sakura nodded.

"I plan on going to the hospital after this meeting." Gaara nodded.

"But me and Shikamaru can stay at our house...as usual, that leaves enough rooms for everyone but one. Does anyone mind sharing?" Sakura put her hand up and said,

"I can share with Kasumi, if she agrees." everyone looked at the shorter, and still masked ANBU. Hinata shrugged and said,

"I..I guess. I don't mind." Temari nodded.

"That settles that." Gaara stared at Hinata a moment longer, and then up at Katoki.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Sabaku no Gaara, Godaime Kazekage. And as you might have realized, Temari ne-san's younger brother. Pleased to meet you, and I'm glad you came. This meeting means Kumogaure still holds Suna in either neutral or good light." Gaara bowed slightly. Katoki and Hinata both bowed back.

"I am Katoki, and this is my partner Genkakku no Kasumi." Katoki took off his mask, revealing the smooth face and green eyes, and Hinata, blushing slightly, revealed her platinum hair and deep blue eyes. Gaara did a double take.

"Ah. Kasumi-san, you remind me of an aquaintance from Konoha." Hinata blushed more and inclined her head.

"You all must be exhausted from the three day trip. In Kasumi-san and Katoki-san's case, four days. Please have the guards escort you to your rooms." Temari and Shikamaru bowed, and walked out, followed by the rest of the group.

Reaching their respective rooms, Hinata was glad that Katoki's was right next to hers. Dropping her bag on her bed, Sakura was laughing at an unheard joke when she walked in.

"Ah, Kasumi-san! I'm glad that us girls have time to get to know each other. This will most defintly have a positive effect on the treaty between our villages." Sakura looked at the clock on the wall and gasped.

"Ah...I have to go. I promised to go the hospital. Do you by chance know any medical ninjutsu?" Hinata slowly nodded. Sakura squealed.

"Great! You can come with me, that way we can spend even more time together!" Hinata's mouth dropped.

"Can I tell Katoki first...he may want to know where to find me." Sakura quickly nodded and fished in her bag for her medical supplies. Hinata walked to the next door and knocked. Katoki opened it and brighten when he saw Hinata's fake face.

"A-ano...I let Sakura-san talk me into going to the hospital with her...if you need me, I'll be there...Uhn...bye.." Katoki nodded and waved at her as Sakura pulled her down the hall.

As soon as the sand coloured doors were open, Hinata blinked and rubbed her fake blue eyes. The lobby was bright white and pale green. Following Sakura up to the reception desk, She stood slightly behind the taller pink haired girl.

"Sumimasen, but we are medic nins...Gaara-sama told us to come here to help with the wounded...?" Sakura said. The nurse widened her eyes and smiled.

"Ah! Thank goodness! We're running low on staff. Can I have your names first?" Sakura waved her hand over towards Hinata and said,

"This is Kasumi, and I am Sakura." The nurse started and said,

"Sakura? As in Densetsu Sakura?" Hinata blinked, and Sakura blushed and nodded.

_Wow...Densetsu? _Hinata thought.

As the nurse led them to the intensive care unit, Hinata scooted closer the pink haired medic.

"Sakura-san? Densetsu?" Sakura turned around and blushed even harder.

"A-ah...Me and my husband are the two remaining Densetsu Sannin. The third, my genin teamate, Uzumaki Naruto, was named the Gama Sennin little less than a week before his death...Its kind of a long story, I can tell you tonight?" Hinata slowly nodded, and with another grin, Sakura turned around and walked through the ICU door.

_Gama Sennin? What! Why didn't he tell me this! _Hinata thought with angered eyes. But her anger was soon forgotten as She and Sakura stepped into a large and blindingly white room filled with moaning civillians and shinobi alike. Sakura let out a small sigh and turned to the blonde Hinata behind her.

"Well, Kasumi-san, shall we start?" Hinata smiled back and nodded.

* * *

Four exhausting hours later, and Hinata found herself nearly completly drained of chakra, and knocking quietly on Katoki's door. Katoki answered and let Hinata in. Hinata, without a word, stumbled into the small room and flopped down onto the tall man's bed.

"Tired, much?" Katoki said, as he made his way to the small fridge in the corner. Hinata rolled over and groaned.

"I haven't used that much chakra in so long! I barely have any left! My fingers hurt too...I think I might have burnt them." Katoki grunted as he pulled out two cans of juice and tossed one at Hinata.

Catching it, Hinata mumbled a thanks and sat up.

"How was your day?" She said as she opened the can and drank from it. Katoki sat down beside her and shrugged.

"It was fine. I went out looking for places to eat, and saw that they have ramen stands here! Not that I dont love dango, I get tired of always having it."

"Maybe if you let me cook for you more..." Katoki waved his hand in front of his face.

"Saa...I dont want to waste your time..." Hinata giggled and downed her drink.

"That pink haired lady that's travelling with us...Uchiha?" Hinata nodded and Katoki continued. "She...I thought they had all died?" Hinata's nose scrunched up.

"She married the only survivor. They have a son, and Sakura-san told me today that they have a daughter too." Katoki nodded and let his head rest on the wall behind him.

_"Coming, coming!" Katoki called out as someone knocked on his door. _

_Opening it, he saw that it was the Pink Haired woman that they had travelled with._

_"Katoki-san, do you mind if I--ah...who are you?" Katoki shifted his feet as the woman in front of him tensed up as if ready for a fight.._

_"S..Sakura, was it? It's me, Katoki from Kumo...Oh! That's right. Earlier I had a fake face on because people in Suna and Konoha tend to stare at me too long..." Sakura blushed and looked up and Katoki flinched as he saw unshed tears starting to form in her eyes. Putting her hand to her mouth Sakura stepped back and said, _

_"S..sorry...I wasn't expecting that...So do you always wear the fake face? You look like...well, you remind me of a friend..." Katoki scrunched up his brow and invited Sakura in. She nodded and sat on his bed._

_"Im really sorry to bother you. I just needed to see if Kasumi-san had mistakenly packed her other shirts in your pack. I couldn't find them in her bags. The one she is wearing is covered in blood." Katoki's eyes widened as he nodded and searched through his bag._

_"Saa! Here, I found them." He said as he tossed a few neatly folded black tops with no sleeves and netting over the neck." Sakura stood up and thanked Katoki. As she was walking out the door, Katoki called out._

_"Ne...Sakura-san, what friend do I remind you of? Not that you have to answer, of course...I'm curious." Sakura turned her head and smiled._

_"He was my genin teamate. Uzumaki Naruto." Katoki shifted and his knee jarred the floor. Falling forward his forhead hit the floor and his vision exploded into a million points of colour._

NNNZZZZZBBZZZZZZZTTTZZTT!_ Katoki shouted and grabbed his head. The last thing he saw before his vision turned black was Sakura's pink hair, and when she touched his shoulder, all he could feel was a searing pain._

"I heard from Sakura-san that you had another episode...as you call them." Katoki rolled his head on the wall so he face Hinata.

"Yea. I get them every so often. But that one seemed to be the worst. I can't ever remember having a searing pain in any other place than my head. I suppose I hit something." Hinata sat up and leaned on Katoki's shoulder, running her finger along the small tattoo that represented his connection with ANBU. Hinata's own still tingled.

"Why do you get them?" Hinata asked, and then blushed. "Sorry! I wasn't trying to be nosy..." Katoki laughed.

"You weren't being nosy. It's ok. Actually though, I'm not quite sure why. I've had some really skilled medic nin look at it before. All they can say is that in the back of my brain, there is a section that is different." Hinata blinked and looked up.

"Different?" Katoki reached up and rubbed the back of his head, making Hinata's heart twang.

"It's kind of hard to explain. I dont fully get it myself. But they had said that two small parts were completely reversed. But I got re-examined last year, and they said that the parts were slowly going back to how a normal person's should be. They told me that the episodes were probably from the shifting." Hinata nodded slowly.

"Is that the reason why you cant remember your childhood?" She said. Katoki turned to her, and started to play with a lock of indigo hair. Hinata blushed slightly, but kept her attention rapt on Katoki.

"I think. Everytime I get an episode, I think I start to remember stuff." Hinata's eyebrows rose.

"Really? Like what?"

"Usually just flashes of colour and sounds. Nothing substancial. Today, after I woke up, I tried to see if I remembered anything of use, but all I got was a sound. More an impression of sound...Some one, a girl I think, was screaming. Very loudly, but it was muffled...Like something was covering my ears. But the screaming made me want to reach out and hold the girl. It broke my heart." Hinata frown and cuddle closer to Katoki.

"But! On other notes, since I just told you a bunch of things about my past, I wanna know something." Hinata frowned again, but playfully.

"Okay...what do you want to know?"

"If it doesnt bother you, I would like to know who your husband was. I mean, if you grew up in Konoha, he must have too. Maybe i've heard of him." Hinata paused. She considered not answering, but he was right. Hinata had told nearly nothing about herself.

"...He wasn't my husband. He died when I was 17. I took his name so that our son could live a normal life, as Hyuuga was a very famous name. His name was Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto." Katoki raised his eyebrows up high.

"Him? Sakura-san mentioned him earlier today, when she was getting you a shirt. She said that I resembled him. Do I?" Hinata sat up straight, away from Katoki's shoulder.

"You do...somewhat, but not much. A-aano...Dont think that that is why I was attracted to you...Ah!" Hinata squealed, and her face shone a bright red. Katoki laughed.

"You're attracted to me, are you?" Hinata squealed louder, and tried to covered her face with her hands as Katoki leaned towards her.

"I-I'm s-sorry...I..I mean, th-that was s-s-so forw-ward of m-me..." Hinata stuttered out. Katoki was leaning in closer, and Hinata's face got redder.

_Bang Bang _

"Kasumi-san? Are you in there?" Katoki, whose face had been less than in inch from Hinata's, sighed and drooped. Hinata took a few seconds to calm herself, and silently curse the door.

"Uh, yea, Sakura-san?" She called.

"Are you all right? You looked a little faint when you left the hospital." Hinata blushed again and gathered her bag. Waving to Katoki she opened the door to a concerned Sakura.

"I was just visiting before I called it a night." Sakura tilted her head and put her hand on Hinata's forehead.

"Are you all right? Your face is flushed." Hinata blushed harder and said, trying to hide her face,

"A-aa, I'm alright...Im tired though...let's go to sleep?" Giving Katoki one last wave, she shut the door and pulled Sakura along to their room right next door.

* * *

End Chapter 21

In case anyone noticed, I changed Matsuri, Gaara's wife a bit. Her name used to be Seiko, and she used to have blue eyes, now they are black. Mog


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

* * *

Katoki woke up when dawn first started to streak the skys. Rolling over and looking out window he saw that he could actually see the sky, and didn't have to look through the constantly blowing wind and sand. The wind country was aptly named.

Pulling a tight black shirt over his head, Katoki brushed the large scar on his chest, and not for the first time, tried to remember how he got it. Sighing, he tugged on his sandals and stepped out of his room.

Walking out into the streets, Katoki shivered slightly and rubbed his arms. Counting the streets as he walked by them, he turned down the 4th one and spotted the small ramen stand.

"Ah. It's nice to see you again, sir." The cook said as Katoki walked under the flap and sat down. Katoki nodded and said,

"I'm glad I made it before the wind picked up. It's unusually clear, or does the wind not blow in the morning?" The ramen cook was in the middle of taking out his fryer when he stopped and looked out the flaps.

"Ahh! My boy, you are right! The wind isn't blowing. That's a rare occurance, a good omen. Maybe that means the peace treaty with Tsuchi will go well tomorrow."

"Hmm? Peace treaty? How does a ramen cook know about that?" Katoki said. The ramen cook laughed and said,

"My son is a shinobi guard for the Kazekage. But now, what can I get you, kind sir?" Katoki grinned and ordered miso.

"I hope it goes well as well." Katoki said, as he paid and left.

Sauntering back to the building his companions were staying at, Katoki felt eyes on the back of his head. Looking up he saw Hinata leaning out her window.

"Oi! Hinata! You're up early!" Katoki shouted. Hinata's face grimaced and she said in a hushed voice,

"Shhh! Sakura-san is waking up! Uh, I'll meet you in your room?" Katoki grinned widely and nodded. Hinata blushed a tad and pulled herself back into the window.

When Katoki opened his door, Hinata was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. Glancing at him breifly, she waved slightly and returned to the ceiling.

Katoki's face felt a bit heated as he noticed that Hinata's chest was rather obvious in the tight black tank she was wearing.

"Are you ok? You look a little flushed..." Hinata said, lifting her head up. Katoki turned around and deftly wiped the small amount of blood that had leaked from his nose, and said,

"Saa...I'm fine. I...I smacked into the wall on the way here. Yea, that's what I did." Hinata just scrunched her nose up. Staring at a small peice of the sandstone that was slowly wearing away, Hinata thought about the previous night.

_Hinata stumbled into her room and onto her bed. She didn't even noticed that Sakura was in the room until she started to talk._

_"Ah, Kasumi-san! I want to ask you something...but it's personal...so you dont have to answer it. Are you and Katoki-san an item?" Hinata blinked and rolled her head towards the pink haired woman._

_"Uhn...No..." Biting back a small blush, Sakura just gave a tired laugh._

_"Sorry, it's just that at home, my best friend and I are always in the latest gossip. Did you know that you look like her? She has the same colour hair, same style, even the same coloured eyes. She's just taller than you." Hinata pretended to look surprised, but inside she was giggling madly. She had developed the new look so that the old Kasumi would not be recognized, and she developed it after Ino._

_"Mmm...You look like a friend, a different one." Hinata looked at Sakura again. "She worked at a barbeque restaurant I frequented. But she up and disapeared almost two years ago. I wonder what happened to her..." Hinata stiffled a sigh and relaxed into the covers of her bed._

_Sakura continued to babble for another hour, but Hinata had fallen asleep after 10 minutes._

Hinata snapped out of her thoughts, when she suddenly rolled towards the edge of the bed. But before the edge came close, she was stopped but a fleshy lump. Katoki looked down at her, almost laughing at her bewildered face. He had layed down, and Hinata rolled into him.

"Today's the negotiations. You ready?" He said. Hinata shook her head.

"No. Why am I even here? I can't negotiate..." Katoki looked over at her.

"You aren't here to negotiate, remember? I'm the one that's good with politics, you are my body guard, and my nurse. You also dont have to pay attention, but just stand there and look pretty." Hinata blushed slightly, but she wasn't sure whether to be angry or take it as a compliment.

The two were silent for a good hour, just enjoying each other's presence before someone politely knocked on the door.

"Katoki-sama? Kasumi-sama? The Kazekage requests your audience." The voice behind the door said. But when Hinata got up to open it, no one was there. Shrugging, she and Katoki slipped their masks on, and headed towards the Kazekage tower.

Along the way they were joined by the rest of the group, minus Temari. Shikamaru had his beige ANBU outfit on, and his deer mask was secure on his face. Neji was in his white outfit, but his odd looking mask was hanging on his belt. Neji nodded slightly as a greeting, and Katoki returned the slight nod.

"Ahh. I see all of you are here, I'm afraid the Tsuchi ambassadors will only allow 2 representatives in at a time, as they feel that anymore would put them at danger." Gaara said as the group walked into his office.

"I will go to the hospital, then, I suppose." Sakura said, as she bowed and left.

Gaara nodded and led the rest into the small room adjacent to his office. The first thing that Hinata noticed was the large window off to the left, and that a sandstorm seemed to be brewing.

Gaara made his way to the back of the room and sat down on the cushion that was by a small table, set for two. Looking up at the tall blonde behind him, he flicked his hand, and the woman spoke.

"May I introduce Hyuuga Neji and Hatake Kakashi of the leaf, Katoki and Kasumi of the cloud, and Nara Shikamaru, and myself, Nara Temari, of the sand." Everyone bowed their heads toward the other figure at the table.

"May I introduce, Horibuchi Seiji, and myself, Ameda Yuki of the rock." Again, everyone bowed their heads.

The figure at the table took off his yellow hat that was enscribed with the kanji for 'rock', and set it on the table.

"Yuichi, let's get right to the chase. We want to avoid war at any cost." Gaara said quietly. The Tsuchikage blinked before grimacing.

"Shinobi are tools for war! Why should we not fight? What good is peace? Peace kills! Look at the Sandaime Hokage! All he wanted was peace, and it cost him his life. I dont know about you, but I want to live." a flicker of anger flashed on Gaara's face.

"Why did you demolish the Kemarigakure? How does this action help you?" Yuichi paused for a second, and a glint of something Hinata didn't like flashed in his black eyes.

"We needed the land. You know that Kemurigakure is stationed on a volcanoe? Volcanic soil is very rich in minerals, and plants can grow easily in it. We needed it, Tsuchi lives up to its name. Its mainly rocky cliffs."

"Is that it? Just for the soil? Why didn't you buy it off of them?" Gaara said, nearly showing astonishment in his voice.

"Because, killing hundreds of innocent people just for some food seemed fun." The room was dead silent, but you could cut the tension with a knife. Nearly all of the shinobi in the room had to restrain themselves from assassinating the man in front of them.

"I have made the smoke country, the entire thing, part of Rock country. Smoke is no more. Next I will be taking on the bird country. But since they dont have any shinobi to fight back, I supose, for your sake, dear Gaara, I can make it less...bloody." Temari was quivering with rage, and Shikamaru's calming hand on her elbow wasn't helping very much.

"I intend to start a war with you, Gaara. I will let you know now, I intend on slowly posessing all of this land. That way, there will be no war, as there will be no one to oppose me!" The middle aged man started to laugh madly, and his guards sniggered. Gaara was still calm, but his sister was another thing altogether.

"You can't do this! Do you know how many lives will end just for your silly little dream! No one will align with you! You're crazy!" the blonde yelled. Shikamaru grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Gaara rasied his hand and said,

"Temari, that's enough." Temari stopped struggling against Shikamaru's grip and settled back into her place behind her brother.

"Hmm? Quite the little wild one that one is. I say, if you ever bore of this desolate land, come to me, I'de gladly accept you as a concubine." Temari shuddered with disgust as Yuichi eyed her up and down quite visably. Gaara narrowed his eyes.

"As if I'de ever even think of degrading myself that low. You make me sick." She finished her statement by spitting on the ground near the Tsuchikage. His guards tightened their fists on their short swords, but Yuichi just laughed.

"Yes...I think...I think that when I take over this miserable desert, I will make you my prime concubine. You will do just fine."

"That's enough! Shikamaru, take Temari out of here." Shikamaru hesitated and said,

"But, Gaara-sama..." Gaara shook his head and frowned, wrinkling the 'ai' symbol on his forehead.

"I will be fine. I have 4 capapble shinobi here already." Shikamaru eyed Katoki and Hinata, but nodded and led his furious girlfriend out of the room.

The room was quiet for a full minute before Gaara finally said,

"That was mighty brave of you to pick on my elder sister, Yuichi." Yuichi's brows rose above the line of his unkempt black hair.

"Sister? Then she must be worth a pretty penny! I might just have to kill my wife and marry her instead." Katoki cringed, and Neji sucked his breath in, but Gaara sat still. The only difference was the intense killer intent rolling off the redhead in waves. Hinata's knees nearly buckled, but Katoki held her up. The shorter of the two Tsuchi guards dry retched, and even Neji seemed taken back.

"For health reasons, I dont suggest even thinking about messing around with a Jinchuuriki's family."

Yuichi hid a gulp, but still managed to show off a smile that was filled with pure evil intent

* * *

An hour later, Gaara sat in his private quarters rubbing his forehead. Matsuri was sitting beside him, rubbing his back and mumbling soothing words. The treaty had not gone well at all. The Tsuchikage agreed not to attack the bird country, but buy it instead. A small victory on Gaara's side, but Yuichi was still a major threat.

"Are Jiraiya and Kouden still in the city?" Gaara said, leaning back. Matsuri thought for a second before saying,

"No...I think they left yesturday. Jiraiya-sama said something about waterfall...I think. He wasn't very...clear." Matsuri scrunched her nose up a little. It wasn't that Jiraiya wasn't clear, it's that when she asked him, he was drunk.

"Ah...pity. Well, I suppose we can tell the convoy that they can leave. We wont be needing them untill the Iwa-nin attack."

"Ah...Alright. I will send Kankuro out to tell them." Gaara nodded, his red hair swaying, and Matsuri smiled at him before leaving.

* * *

"Matsuri-chan! Maattssuuurrrriiiii-chhhhaaannnn!!" a deep voice called. Matsuri wilted.

"Kankuro...I'm up here." The tall man dressed in black looked up to the gallery on the second floor and waved when he saw his sister-in-law.

"Where's my little Kaisa-chan?" Matsuri resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Gaara-sama wants you to tell the convoy group they can go home, the Tsuchikage isn't willing to negotiate anything. The nin have no use untill the war actually starts." Kankuro's grin faltered a fraction.

"War? Are you sure?" Matsuri nodded her head grimly. Kankuro nodded again and spun off in the direction he came from.

* * *

"Oi." Shikamaru took off his deer mask and looked behind him. Grinning slightly, he said,

"Oi." the first man took off his odd mask and Shikamaru's eyes were drawn to the green tattoo engraved on his friend's forehead; a constant reminder of the rather horrid past of the Hyuuga.

Neji flopped, rather gracefully, onto the bench that ran along the wall on the inside of Shikamaru's Suna home. Glancing around quickly, Neji whispered,

"So Kumogakure let a Hyuuga join it's ranks, eh?" Shikamaru grinned.

"You noticed too? I almost didn't recognize her. She's turning back into her oldself." Neji nodded.

"Im bored. Wanna go tease her?" Shikamaru grinned even wider than before.

"Normally, that would be troublesome, but technically, 'Kasumi' hasn't paid us a visit yet." Neji laughed.

Walking out the wooden door, Neji coughed at the sudden winds that had picked up, but Shikamaru just adjusted his collar. The pair made it to the large round building that was host to both the Kazekage's office and the guest rooms. Climbing the stairs and counting the 3rd door on the left, Shikamaru rapped quickly on the plain door.

"Can I help you?" Sakura said, as she opened her door. "Oh! Neji, Shikamaru?"

"Uh, where is Kasumi-san?" Sakura blinked and said,

"Probably in Katoki-san's room. If they aren't there then you will have to wait." Neji nodded and waved at his pink haired medic friend.

Walking down the hall, two more rooms on the left side, Neji knocked this time. He heard scrambling and muttered voices before the door was answered.

"Ano, can I help you with something?" Hinata said, her fake blonde hair swaying down at her hips. Her face was tinged slightly with red and Shikamaru stiffled a giggle. Hinata didn't look at him, but her cheeks got even redder.

"Ah, I hope I wasn't interrupting...?" Hinata shook her head and said, souding defeated,

"Uhn...would you like to come in for some tea?" Neji smiled broadly and nodded. Hinata sighed and let her friends in.

"Ah, Nara-san, Hyuuga-san. It's a pleasure to meet you again." Hinata saw both Shikamaru and Neji jolt quite visably as they gazed upon her tall friend. Katoki shot a look at Hinata that was filled with curiosity and a touch of amusement.

"Ah..ah, please just call me Shikamaru." Katoki grinned and said,

"Then you may call me just Katoki." Shikamaru grinned slightly and sat down on the cushion that Hinata offered. Neji sat down as well, but unlike Shikamaru who looked like he was analysing Katoki, Neji was staring at Hinata, and making her uncomfortable.

"A-ano...what b-brings you here?" Hinata asked, silently cursing her slip. Shikamaru shrugged and Neji said,

"Well, It's just that your chakra coils, from what I saw of them, looked very familiar. Have we met?" Hinata shot a death glare at the two and crossed her arms.

"Alright, you got me. I'm alive, surprise!" she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she flung her hands half heartedly. Katoki burst out laughing and startled the two nin.

"I like your new look. It distracted us by making us think about Ino. She's worried by the way. Where have you been?" Shikamaru said, thanking Hinata as she poured him a cup of tea.

"Mm...Well, I was trailing Jiraiya untill little over a month ago. I heard some stories about the man that made me...well, concerned about Kouden. But I met Katoki and decided to try and defect to Kumo. I made ANBU in a month. This is my first major mission." Neji grinned a bit and said,

"What about when you and Katoki escorted Sasami?" Katoki crossed his arms before saying,

"Well...about that, I'de be delighted if Yondaime-sama never found out. Hinata was impersonating an ANBU." Shikamaru's mouth form an 'o' and the two let the subject drop. An awkward silence ensued for the next few minutes while Hinata struggled to find another topic.

"A..er...So...How's life in Konoha? How is your baby doing, Shikamaru? And has Ino had hers yet?" Shikamaru leaned back and said,

"Tayoumaru is fine, and Ino had a baby boy about a week after Sasami left. I believed that she named him Haku. Speaking of Ino, I hope she's holding up. She and Sai are babysitting Tayoumaru. Two small babies don't seem that easy to handle.

"Ino is a good mother. I'm sure she knows what to do." Shikamaru nodded and Neji said,

"I'm sure you would be a good mother too, Hinata-sama. How are you going to explain a 4 year abscence from your son's life, may I ask?" Hinata set her tea cup down and said,

"I wont have to. ANBU often die on missions. It's best if he thinks I am dead now, so that when I do die, he wont have to mourn." Katoki's eyes closed slightly, and Neji shook his head.

"Well I --" _THOCK THOCK _Neji, who had been interrupted, looked at the door.

"I heard voices! It's Kankuro, and im here to tell you that the convoy can go home. Also, tell your respective Kage's that war in inevitable, and we appreciate as many alliances as well." Shikamaru opened the door, but Kankuro was already gone. Turning to the group, he said,

"Well, I suppose it's time to go home. Hinata, come and visit on your next mission to Konoha, please." Hinata nodded slightly and Shikamaru left.

"Hinata-sama, Katoki-san." Neji nodded a bow, and Katoki did the same. Closing the door on his way out, Katoki said to Hinata,

"Hinata-sama? I assume that you are in the same clan?"

"I was the clan heir, remember? He's called me that since we were children. He is my Otou-sama's twin brother's son." Katoki was going to ask more, but upon hearing the acid that she injected into 'Otou-sama', he decided to leave it for another day.

"He knows your son quite well?" Hinata nodded again.

"He is taking care of Kouden, like a step-father. He knew I was still alive all along, as he was one that was sent out to kill me in the first place." Katoki froze.

Hinata was cleaning up the tea when a pair of strong arms wound themselves around her middle and hugged her hard. Hinata fought back a tear as she dumped the cups on the small table in the room and without even slipping her sandals on, she left.

* * *

"Hokage-sama? You sent for me?" a boy with black hair and bright blue eyes asked, as he walked into his leader's office. The blonde woman in front of him stared at him with her young face.

Or, at least it looked young. Shiro heard rumours that she was over 60 years old.

"Shiro, I just received a message from Jiraiya, and he needs something delivered. I want you to do it." Shiro perked up slightly. A chance to visit his teammate. After Sasami left, he had been left alone, and things werent as colourful around without the mop of bright blonde hair that Kouden sported.

"Alright. What does he want delivered?" Tsunade looked at her feet for a second before reaching down and bringing up a scroll.

"This. He said that he was in the village hidden in the waterfall. At full speed, you should be able to get there tomorrow, if you leave now. To get in, you have to have permission, so take this as well." Tsunade tossed a much smaller scroll that Shiro caught. Eyeing the scroll on Tsunade's desk, he said,

"That thing is the size of my leg! What is it?!" Tsunade shrugged.

"I have no idea. He just said that when he sent for it, to send it to him where ever he was." Shiro nodded and walked over to the desk. Grabbing the scroll and slinging ot over his back, he sighed loudly at the weight.

"This a B rank mission, Be careful, Shiro." Shiro nodded and walked out the office doors.

* * *

End Chapter 22 


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

* * *

Flopping down onto the futon in the small living room of her new, larger apartment, Hinata let out a long drawling sigh. Her hands hurt, and they twitched every so often. Rolling over, the door to the apartment opened again, and Katoki entered. Glancing at Hinata, he said with a sly grin,

"Hmm? Hinata-_chan_ looks tired." Hinata stuck her tongue out at him.

"Do I? It's mainly Katoki-_kun_'s fault." Katoki managed to look offended as he over acted a small scene of heart ache. Putting the back of his hand to his forehead, he said in a sugary voice,

"Oh! Oh! The pain! My heart has broken from your accusations! It wasn't my fault that that stupid sound nin managed to spear me through the arm." Glancing at his arm, he saw the small pink area where the javalin had gone through. Hinata had had to heal him on the spot, as it had managed to sever an artery. After two days straight of running through some very cold rain, she nearly passed out from exhaustion. He pretty much carried her into the Raikage's office, who was very put out with the news of the upcoming war.

"Katoki, can you do the wash? I got blood all over my uniform." Katoki laughed and took the blood spattered beige vest from, her outstreched arms. She had to kill all of the sound nin that had attacked, thanks to Katoki's injured arm.

"What happened to 'kun', my dear Hinata-chan?" Hinata looked up at him, a smile not decorating her face.

"Please, dont call me 'my dear'. _That man_ used it in his speech before he killed my husband." Katoki gulped and hurried out the door, his arms full of laundry, most of which was covered in blood.

Hinata sighed again and stared at the waterstain on the ceiling. Letting her thought wander again about Katoki and Kouden and other things, Hinata jolted sharply when she head a shout from the hall of their apartment.

Flinging the door open, she glanced around and saw that down at the end of her hall, near the stairs, was Katoki. The bloody laundry was spilled around him, and he was curled up and holding his head.

Rushing past the few onlookers who had opened their doors, Hinata quickly grabbed his hands.

"Katoki-kun! Can you hear me?" Katoki nodded his head, still groaning loudly. "Can you stand?" Katoki faltered, but got to one knee. Just as Hinata finally managed to help him up, another wave of pain crashed down on Katoki and he yelled louder, falling to his knees. Hinata held him upright and struggled to get him to his knees.

"Can I help in anyway, miss?" Some one behind Hinata said. Glancing back quickly, she saw that the man was a citizen, but he was very large.

"P-please, can you help me t-take him to the hospital?" The man nodded and hoisted the now mostly unconcious Katoki onto his shoulder. Hinata quickly gathered the bloody clothes and deposited them in her apartment, ignoring the slightly disgusted stares of another onlooker.

Opening his eyes, Katoki groaned and closed them, immediately regretting that he did. The room was blinding white. Slowly cracking his eyes open and looking down he saw that he had a nub over his index finger than blinked red every once in a while. Sighing, he was slightly surprised to see a sleeping Hinata on his leg. He was just about to jostle her when he had the oddest sensation. He felt like he was dreaming, but he knew he was awake.

He's strong..._grass tickled his nose as he smelled. Looking up, his vision felt shaky, but more defined, and his throat felt raspy, like he had been shouting for hours. Swinging his head around and up, his vision still shaky, he could almost make out the taller figure that stood a few metres away. He felt a sharp pang of anger, confusion and joy pass through his stomach._

"Bah! No way! Hinata-chan!" Katoki said, shaking his leg. Hinata looked up and blinked tiredly. Seeing Katoki awake, she instantly brightened and said,

"Katoki-kun! Are you ok? You had another episode in the hall." Katoki blinked, and waved his hand.

"Hinata-chan, I remembered!" Hinata nodded slowly.

"Yes, you should, you responded to me." Hinata was confused, she didn't know why he was so worked up.

"No! No, I got a memory! From my childhood! A full and complete one! Not just a sound, or a smell, like usual." Hinata blinked.

"Oh! That's great! What was the memory? Er...if you dont mind me asking." Katoki paused and said,

"Well, I guess it's actually not that great of one. I was laying down on the grass...I think I had just been knocked down. I was confused and angry...and I think happy?" Hinata's mouth twitched.

"Wow...were you hurt?" Katoki shrugged and shook his head, Hinata felt her face heat up.

Flipping the blanket off of his legs, Katoki sighed when he saw that he was clad in patient scrubs. Taking the nub off of his finger, careful as to not set it off, Katoki swung off the bed and stood up.

"Katoki-kun! What are you doing?" Hinata almost hissed. Katoki grinned and said,

"Where are my clothes?" Hinata's face went blank and a soft smile graced her lips. Reaching behind her, Hinata handed Katoki a pile of clean clothes. Katoki's face was stil for a second before he took the pile.

"These are clean, how long was I out?" Hinata smiled again.

"When I had fallen asleep, you had been out for 4 hours. It's 7pm now. I'de say, about 6 hours, give or take." Katoki grimaced.

Hooking his fingers under the white hem of his shirt, he started to pull up when Hinata stiffened, blushed and turned around. Katoki laughed.

"What are you doing?" Hinata coughed and said, still not facing him,

"I've known you for little over a month. I don't think I should watch you dress. I will leave and see if I can grab something to eat from the cafeteria. Dont leave." Katoki laughed again, and Hinata caught a glimpse of the bottom of the scar that was splayed across Katoki's chest.

When Hinata returned with a small tray of snack food and sandwiches, she looked around and saw that Katoki had vacated. Sighing, she looked up and nearly screamed.

Sitting, upsidedown on the ceiling was Katoki. He was scratching something into the tiles. Hinata looked closer and saw that it was a talley mark.

Dropping down, Katoki stole a sandwich and gulped it down.

"What were you doing?" Hinata asked. Katoki shrugged.

"I talley how many times i've been in each room. I'm weird like that. According to this, this is my third visit to this room in particular. I have a room somewhere with 11 talleys. It's a habit I got when I first got here."

"So you were in the hospital alot?" Katoki grinned and nodded. Flicking dust off the shoulder of his black sleeveless shirt, Katoki motioned that they exit the room. Hinata inclined her head and walked through the door.

Walking through the lobby, Katoki gave a sly wink to a nurse with short periwinkle hair. The nurse started and blushed before nodded and writing something on a clipboard. Hinata found herself getting angry but calmed herself as no one tried to stop them from leaving. Sighing she let Katoki lead her to their apartment.

* * *

Raising his hand against the blinding sun, Shiro looked upon the massive waterfall that he was somehow supposed to cross. Standing and anaylzing his options for a good ten minutes, Shiro was so involved in thinking that he didn't even notice the two figures coming up behind him untill they called out.

"Oi! Who are you?" Shiro jumped. Turning he saw two kunoichi, one was very tall, almost as tall as Uchiha Sasuke, and had murky green colour hair that lay in waves to her chin. The other kunoichi was short and resembled what a female Kakashi would look like. Shiro almost laughed. The Kakashi-like Kunoichi tossed her silver hair and stared at Shiro.

"Uhn, Oketsu Shiro. I am a chuunin of Konohagakure, I was sent on a mission to deliver this to Jiraya-sama in the Village hidden in the waterfall." The shorter of the shinobi said,

"How do we know you aren't lying?" Shiro almost laughed again. She even sounded like Kakashi. Rumaging around in his sack, he pulled out the scroll that Tsunade had given him and handed it to the taller kunoichi.

She opened it, read it quickly and showed the silver haired woman. They both nodded and said in unison,

"Follow us please." Shiro nodded and did as they asked.

Ten minutes later, Shiro found himself standing underneath the roaring waterfall inside the entrance to the village. He never would have guessed the entrance to not even be by the waterfall. The Kunoichi turned to him and said,

"I leave your search to you, but do not cause any trouble, young chuunin. You are our guest, and we must take responsibilty of you." Shiro nodded and tucked a strand of his long bangs behind his ears.

Going inside the first tavern he saw, Shiro walked up to the receptionist and said,

"Sumimasen, but have you seen an old man with white hair and a blonde kid with a stupid face?" The receptionist shook her head, and Shiro continued on his search for Kouden, not realizing the irony in his words.

Three hours and no luck later, Shiro was ready to give up when he heard a familiar yelling coming from around the corner. Peeking around, he saw Kouden yelling at the man Shiro presumed to be Jiraiya, while sitting on a frog that was Jiraiya's height.

"Stop staring at the girls and teach me, Ero-sennin!" Kouden yelled, pointing his finger. Jiraiya pointed his finger and stomped his foot before yelling back,

"I told you not to call me that! I've been helping you for 2 years and you still can't summon anyone bigger than Gamatan!" The frog gave a grunt and shifted his legs.

"I could if you helped me!" Kouden shouted, even louder than before, if it seemed possible.

"You're father did it in a month!" Shiro froze. _What?_ Stepping from around the corner as soon as his face got under control, Shiro noted how fast the colour drained out of Kouden's face.

"Jiraiya-sama, I have the scroll that you sent for." Jiraiya smiled and tottered over to Shiro. Shiro handed it over and the old man said,

"Now, Kouden-baka. If you hadn't of been so thick, you would have noticed that your friend has been eavesdropping on us for a few minutes now. I'm going to the bar to drink my student's failures away." Kouden paled again, making his white eyes seem a light purple, versus the colourless they were before. Shiro took a doubletake.

"Why are your eyes white?" Kouden blinked and then put his hand behind his head and laughed.

"Ahhh, I guess they were still green when I left." Shiro nodded. Kouden grimaced again and said,

"How much did you hear?" Shiro hesitated before saying,

"Since, 'Ero-sennin'." Kouden flinched. Taking a breath, he patted Gamatan and said,

"You can leave if you want." The giant frog nodded and grinned before disapearing in a puff of smoke, leaving Kouden standing on the pavement.

"Oh? You got new clothes?" Kouden grinned. He now sported an orange jacket that bore the flame of the Hyuuga on one sleeve and the flack vest swirl on the other. The jacket was covered by a green flack vest identical to Shiro's. His pants were standard black leggings that were also identicle to Shiro's.

"I'm a chuunin too! I took the test in Kirigakure with Sakana-nechan and Renji. Ranji had passed already and I got permission from Tsunade-baa-chan." Shiro gave a small grin, but continued to stare at Kouden. Kouden shifted uneasily and averted his eyes before saying,

"Just ask. I'll answer if I can." Shiro hesitated, and Kouden sat down on the pavement.

"So, I take it your kekkei genkai has finally come out?" Kouden looked up at Shiro. A grimace decorated his face. Shaking his head, Kouden sighed and said,

"I suppose I should just tell you then. Sasami-chan knows, you deserve to know as well. Shiro, I've had a bloodline since I was born. I first activated it when I was 6, and the only reason my eyes were green, was because of a very useful partial henge that Kaa-san taught me." Shiro flinched.

"Kaa-san? That man mentioned your father, does that mean you finally found out who your parents are?" Kouden blinked and sighed again.

"I've never not known. The reason why I was given to Neji-ni-san, was because he was the only person who knew Kaa-san was alive. He was also someone who could teach me how to use the full extent of my eyes. As for Tou-sama? I've known who he was all along. But he died before I was born." Shiro sat down, his blue eyes wide and disbelieving. A few moments of silence followed before Shiro decided to speak up.

"So...Who _are_ your parents?" Kouden looked up at the sky, and said,

"What clan do I look like I belong too?" Shiro frowned. Staring at his younger teamate, he said,

"With those eyes, you look like a Hyuuga...ahh..." Kouden smiled weakly.

"Yes. I am a Hyuuga. I am actually related to Aiko-chan by blood, but she doesn't know. As far as I know, only Ero-sennin, Shika-ni-san, Kakashi-sensei, and Neji-ni-san know who I really am."

"What about your mother? Was she the Hyuuga, or was it your father?" Kouden grimaced.

"Kaa-san was the Hyuuga. But she's dead. She died a few years ago, a few months after I joined academy." Shiro's mouth hung open for a moment before he said with a small laugh,

"At least you aren't lying about being an orphan anymore." Kouden gave a small laugh, and looked at the ground again.

"Can I ask their names? Oh! I just remembered! When we first became genin, and you gave your name, you almost said something before 'Hyuuga'. What was it? Was it your real surname?" Kouden grinned and looked at Shiro.

"Shiro, are you sure you want to know? If any of this leaks out to the wrong person, I would never have a private life again." Shiro frowned.

"Why? Were they famous?" Kouden smiled his wide smile and said,

"Yea, pretty much. I mean, we even learned about Tou-sama in academy!"

"Kouden, stop teasing me. Just spill it!" Kouden laughed at the display of emotion Shiro was showing, and said,

"Hinata. Kaa-san's name was Hinata, Hyuuga Hinata." Shiro's eyes bugged out.

"No way! She died before you were born!" Kouden nodded and said,

"Yea, nine months before I was born." Shiro blinked again and said,

"Ah, that makes much more sense. But your father...Oh...No way!" Kouden grinned.

"Oh yes way. My real name? Its Uzumaki Kouden. Not only am I the hero of Konohagakure's only child, but I recently found out that I'm heir to the entire Hyuuga clan. By law, I have more right than my Aunt Hanabi to her position."

To say that Shiro was stunned is an understatement. Putting a hand on his forehead, Shiro pushed back his black hair and said in a low voice,

"Doesnt that mean that you are a prince? I mean, not only are you a clan heir, but you are the clan heir of the most prestigeous clan in Konoha! Not to mention that your father, being who he is...Kouden, my friend, you have very good breeding. I thought I was special because I have the same blood in me as Sasuke-sensei, you beat me right out." Kouden laughed loudly.

"Breeding? I think you've been spending too much time with Aiko-chan and Noneko-chan." Shiro blushed and Kouden laughed even harder. Wiping a tear from his eye, Kouden's face suddenly went serious. Only the twinkle of mirth in his eye gave his true feelings away.

"But on a heavier tune, you can't tell anyone! Not even Sasami-chan knows who my parents really are. She thinks that Kaa-san was just an escaped branch member. She doesn't have a clue about Tou-sama." Shiro nodded and Kouden grinned again.

"Want to get some ramen? I found a shop nearby when Ero-sennin was peeping on girls again." Shiro laughed and stood up. Both he and Kouden wore grins as they made their way to the ramen shop, in hopes of getting there before the dinner rush.

* * *

Tatari winced as she watched Satoshi get chewed out by their leader's right hand man...or woman. She still wasn't sure. Satoshi, on the other hand, just sat there and looked the cloaked figure straight in the eye.

Tatari knew that she had a lot of work ahead of them. His target, a young boy from Kumogakure, had been killed in a raid, and they had limited time to find a new one.

3 months, the leader had said. The jutsu was finished, and the absolute deadline was 3 months. Any longer and everything would fail, and Tatari realized that Satoshi would most likely be killed.

Raising her hand to her chest under her cloak, she tried to push away the fear that gathered and tried to tie her heart in knots.

"You, Tatari, shall accompany Satoshi to Kumo and guard the girl. From what I have collected, she is the new Hoku-hime, correct?" Tatari started and nodded her head. "Then you shall guard her with your life until she is needed. Understood?"

"Understood." The hooded figure gave a curt nod and turned to face Kasumi. Tatari stared for a minute at the cloak that covered the hooded figure. It had brownish-grey trim and the symbol of Iwagakure on her left shoulder. What was catching Tatari's intrest, was the figure's hands. Everytime they darted out from the cloak, Tatari got a glance at what was underneath.

Trying to look without making it obvious was the top priority, but the read head almost gasped when she spotted what she was looking for. Looking over at Satoshi, he had a small grin on his face, a sign that he noticed too, and probably well before Tatari. Wrinkling her nose, Tatari waited until the hooded figure disapeared, and said to her partner,

"She's woman alright. Kinda fat though." Satoshi gave in and chuckled. Tatari turned to him.

"What? Since when do you know how to laugh?" Satoshi ignored the comment and said,

"She's not fat. She's with child." Green eyes widening, Tatari's mouth formed an 'o'.

"Now that you mention it...that 3 month deadline, do you think that is when she is expecting? Do you think the jutsu has to do with her baby?" Tatari gasped with obvious horror and said, "Do you think what Leader-sama's plan is, is to kill the baby? That's horrible!" the tall sandy-haired man sighed and said,

"I doubt we will end up killing the baby. Although I'm fairly sure it has something to do with the plan. Leader-sama never mentioned anything about a baby in the version he gave us." Tatari nodded and sighed.

"I'm glad that Leader-sama has this hideout here. It's fairly close to the Lightning country. Actually, I think some of the people on your target list are in the Hoku region. Shall we rest and be on our way?" Satoshi only bowed his head before puffing away in the a swirl of smoke and dirt.

Turning her head she stuck her tongue out at Kasumi and waited until the younger girl huffed up before following her tall partner.

* * *

Sneezing, a pink haired girl frowned and looked around. Sighing, she fingered the edge of her brown and white kimono.

"Hime-sama? Is everything alright?" Sasami turned her head and let her gaze linger on the tall woman behind her. She had dark skin, and had black, shoulder lenth hair. Her dress was unlike that of the other ladies in waiting. Falling to just below her knees, it was white in colour, save the blue dragon emblazed along her hip. Sleeveless, Sasami's eyes were drawn, yet again, to the red swirl on her arm, indicating that she was ANBU.

"Souma-sensei, I'm fine. Just bored. I mean, can't we go train? I dont want to sit here all day." Souma's face was usually serious, but for some reason, she developed a soft spot for the young queen. Resting her hand on Sasami's shoulder, Souma smiled warmly and said,

"Hime-sama, I know how much you like to train, but you aren't some genin anymore. You are queen of your entire district!" Sasami nodded and looked away. Souma gazed at her student and sighed. Leaning closer, Souma whispered into Sasami's ear,

"I'll see if I can get you off of the throne earlier today." Sasami blushed a bit and smiled widely.

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Sensei!" Souma gave a large grin and walked away, straightening her odd dress as she walked.

* * *

End Chapter 23 


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

* * *

Hinata walked into her apartment and sighed. She tossed her bag onto the floor inside the single bedroom the apartment contained, and sighed again when it hit the closet, causing the door to open.

"Ugh, this apartment sucks. When I get Jounin, I'll convince him to get a bigger one.", Hinata said out loud.

Pushing the door closed, she sighed again when it jammed. Looking down she saw that a scroll had fallen out of the closet. Picking it up, she saw that it was held closed by a red ribbon with butterflies decorating it.

"My journal..." Hinata back up to the wall and sat down. Untieing the ribbon, she slowly unrolled it and read a random passage.

_I fought Neji-ni-san a few days ago. I just woke up today. But even though I lost the battle, I won the war. Thank's to Naruto-kun, I was able to give it my complete all, and he was there, cheering me on. Ino-san visited me today and told me that Naruto-kun swore vengence on my blood that he would beat Neji-ni-san. My adoration of him rose even higher, if possible. I hope one day, that he sees me as I see him._

_Hinata_

Smiling through tears, Hinata unrolled the scroll more and read another date. Frowning, she paused before reading the entry.

_This cant be happening...It has to be a horrible dream...Naruto-kun...WHY!!?? It's been about three weeks since I found out I was pregnant. He...I didn't even get to tell him...I want to follow him! Why? I thought that maybe if I sit here in this strange room and do nothing, I would die peacefully. The constant pain in my heart should be enough. I'm writing this now, because I feel that soon, maybe really soon, I can join Naruto-kun, and I want to leave proof that I existed. maybe Neji-ni-san will tell someone where I am, so that they can collect my body. Maybe he will collect it himself. I dont care. My heart...it just, everytime I breath, think, it hurts..._

Hinata was not smiling. She saw that she didn't even sign it. Clutching her chest, Hinata had almost forgotten that she sat in the clearing for nearly two weeks before someone from that small village found her, unconcious and starved, and nursed her back to health.

"Naruto..." Hinata whispered before breaking out into tears. _I can't live like this! I told myself that Kouden needs to think I'm dead early on so he isnt sad when I really do die, but, Naruto...I want to join you so bad. My heart hurts everyday...but Katoki..._

Biting her finger, Hinata gasped when she tasted blood. Taking her finger out of her mouth, she saw she had a small slit on the joint. Standing shakily, the scroll fell off her lap and hit the ground with a hollow thump. Walking across the hall to the small bathroom, Hinata grabbed a small roll of gauze and wound her finger up. She decided that healing it would be cheating.

* * *

Katoki sighed as he stood in front of badly painted door. He held the key in front of the lock, but didn't insert it. He just got back from a 6 day mission to the waterfall country where had met Jiraiya, and that kid with blonde hair.

_"So you will stay neutral?" Katoki said, his nondescript ANBU mask covering his face. The leader of the village hidden in the waterfall nodded._

_"We will. We are very secluded, and do not like getting into the affairs of the larger nations. But if we get attacked, we will fight." The man was tall, almost as tall as Katoki, and had a head of reddish orange hair tied in a ponytail that trailed down to mid back. His eyes were the same colour as his hair and radiated power._

_"Please...if you do decided to fight, Konoha, Kumo, and Suna will all apreciate your help." The leader's eyebrows rose._

_"Hmm? It depends. If you end up attacking us, I may have to ally with Iwa." Katoki grunted and bowed._

_"Thank you for your time." The leader bowed back and Katoki exited the room._

_Walking towards the hotel, Katoki was thinking on how he was going to explain to the Raikage that he failed to get an alliance with the Waterfall. Sighing, he turned a corner only to walk into someone. Looking down, the person, a boy with blonde hair looked up and said, _

_"Aah, Gomenaisai. I wasn't watching where I was going." Katoki blinked and said, _

_"Hey! I know you! You're the tree destroyer!" The boy looked up at Katoki with a questioning face. Katoki took off his ANBU mask, and the boy's face lit up._

_"Oh! You! Ka...Katoki-san?" Katoki clapped and helped the boy up._

_"Right! And you are Kouden-kun." Kouden's face lit up as he grabbed Katoki's hand. _

_"Kouden-baka! What are you do- oh! Sorry..." A taller boy with dark hair that was long in the front, and short in the back came running up to Kouden and Katoki. Looking a little flushed, the boy bowed and said, _

_"Gomen, I didn't realize you were talking." Katoki laughed and Kouden said, _

_"Shiro-teme, this is Katoki-san...remember I was telling you that he was standing on that tree when I first used rasengan?" Shiro's eyes widened, and Kouden turned back to Katoki._

_"What are you doing here? Are you a Shinobi here?" Katoki shook his head._

_"No, I'm on a mission, but it's classified." Kouden shifted his feet and made a whining noise. _

_"Er, Kouden...Jiraiya-sama wants us to get him some sake along with the large balloons." Kouden sighed and Katoki chuckled. Waving a quick bye, Kouden and Shiro disapeared off into the crowds, and Katoki continued down the street towards his hotel, when he heard a loud roar of laughter that sounded suspiciously drunk. Poking his head into the bar, he saw at the back, a large man with white spiky hair, who was surrounded by three women. His face was red and his eyes were slightly askew. _

_"Ohhh, Jiraiya-chan, you're so charming!" one girl said. The other giggled and Jiraiya roared with laughter again. Katoki blinked. Jiraiya?_

_Walking in, he ordered himself a drink and sat at the bar, observing Jiraiya out of the corner of his eye._

_Ten minutes of Katoki quietly drinking at the bar, and one of the girls around Jiraiya came over to Katoki and put a hand on his shoulder._

_"Hey hun, did you want to rent us for the hour? His is almost up." The girl pointed her thumb at Jiraiya. Katoki glanced over at Jiraiya, who all of a sudden didn't look as drunk. Instead he looked mildly jealous that one of the girls was talking to him. Katoki caught his eye, and Jiraiya choked on his sake. Sputtering everywhere, one of the girls squealed. _

_"No thanks, miss. I've got to be going soon any way." The girl nodded and made her way back to the old man._

_"Ahh, Jiraiya-chan, you made such a mess...wanna help clean it up?" Katoki nearly choked on his drink when he heard the low seductive voice the girl was using. He glanced and saw that Jiraiya was smiling, but his attention wasn't on them, it was on Katoki._

_Katoki noticed this and quickly paid for his drinks and left. Rounding the first corner, he jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder._

_"Hey, who are-" The figure stopped when Katoki yelled. Clutching his head, Katoki was brought to his knees, but another wave of pain hit, but Katoki passed out before he hit the ground._

_When Katoki woke up, the first thing he saw were a pair of white eyes._

_"Hinata-chan?" The white eyes widened and Katoki snapped up, smacking his forehead on the owner. Holding his forehead he saw that the owner of the white eyes was in fact not Hinata, but Kouden._

_"Kuso...She's gonna kill me. Kouden-kun, are you ok?" The boy, still holding his forehead nodded and looked up at Katoki. His eyes tearing. Behind him sat Shiro and Jiraiya was smoking from a pipe in the corner._

_"So you're awake." Katoki nodded and noticed that he was on a pallet, and a wet cloth was on his lap._

_"How long was I out for this time?" Jiraiya paused, and Shiro said, _

_"Jiraiya-sama brought you here 4 hours ago." Katoki sighed and nodded._

_"So, to finish my sentance earlier, who are you?" Katoki looked the old man straight in the face and was surprised to see a small amount of hurt in his eyes._

_"Jiraiya-sama of the Densetsu Sannin?" Jiraiya inclined his head. "I suppose it's alright then. If you wanted to kill me, you would have already. I am Katoki of Kumogakure." Kouden flinched, and Shiro stared at the blonde boy. Jiraiya didnt do anything but take another puff of his pipe._

_"Ano sa...Katoki-san, when you woke up, you said a name..." Katoki sucked his breath in. Hinata was definatly going kill him, he couldn't just lie to the boy._

_"I did..." Kouden's fists grabbed his black pants._

_"Why her name...?" Katoki paused, collecting his words._

_"Because when I woke, I saw your eyes and thought you were her." Kouden froze._

_"...Kaa-san?" Shiro's eyes widened and he looked at Katoki._

_"Kouden-kun, Your Kaa-san is still alive and well. She lives in Kumogakure with me. Next time you are there, come visit. She misses you. I see it everyday." Jiraiya's eyebrows were up past his bangs, but he was still sucking on the pipe. That was the last thing he expected this mystery man to say._

_Standing up, Katoki said, _

_"Well, I was supposed to be gone by now. I will have to bid you a farewell. Jiraiya-sama, it was nice to finally meet you. You are a legend in Kumo." Jiraiya just smiled and said, _

_"Boy, I'm a legend everywhere. Now, tell Yondaime that I will be visiting soon. I just remembered that I have some...buisness with him." Katoki hesitated at the pause, but bowed and left the small room._

Still standing at the door, Katoki went over and over in his head how he was going to tell Hinata that her son knows she's alive. Ten minutes later found Katoki still standing at the door, when a neighbour, an old lady prodded him in the back. Jumping, Katoki turned and sighed.

"Aaah, Kaede-san, can I help you?" The old lady smiled and said,

"Can I help _you_? You've been standing there for quite some time, son." Katoki rubbed the back of his head and grinned.

"Sorry, I was zoning out. I wont do it again, but thank you for your concerns." Kaede nodded and turned back to her apartment across the hall.

Katoki pushed the key into the lock and unlocked the door to his apartment. As soon as he walked in, he was assaulted by the scent of tears. Dropping his stuff in the doorway, he closed the door and tiptoed to the bedroom.

"Hinata-chan?" He said quietly peering around the corner. He sighed when he saw that Hinata was wrapped up against the corner of the room, several scrolls in her hands, he called her name again, but he realized that she was sleeping.

Making her pallet, he picked her up, surprised again by how light she was, and laid her down on her pallet. Brushing her bangs off her face, he noticed that there were dried tears around her eyes. Katoki sighed quietly. He knew that she cried out names in her sleep, sometimes that of her son, but mostly Naruto's. He made Katoki angry. Katoki thought it was very unfair to Hinata that he died. Hinata says it was her fault, but Katoki refuses to believe that. Making his pallet next, Katoki banished all thoughts of Naruto from his mind, he slipped into a light sleep.

* * *

Rubbing his forehead, the Kazekage sighed. A small crash from the corner of his office made Gaara glance to his right. His daughter had just pushed over the pile of blocks she had been playing with, and was now squealing with laughter. Seeing his daughter laugh made Gaara smile. Extending a hand towards her, he used his control of sand to gently pile all of the blocks back up. Kaisa squealed again and Gaara grinned.

Turning back to the paper that he was reading, Gaara once again held his forehead in his hands. Iwagakure was offically declaring war on Sunagakure with the intention of taking over the Wind country.

Go over the actions in his head, he decided that he needed to inform Konoha and Kumo right away. Sighing, he wrote the letter that he really wished he wouldnt have had to, and after picking his daughter up, Gaara gave it to the nin posted outside of his door.

"This needs to get to the Hokage as soon as possible." The nin nodded and Gaara left the room, holding his giggling daughter.

* * *

Skidding along the ground, Sasami didn't have time to readjust her stance as a tall dark skinned woman came flying at her with her foot extended. Blocking with her left arm, Sasami tried to push her fingers against the taller woman's ankle, but she twisted around and swung her other foot at the other side of her head.

Sasami let out a grunt as she quickly blocked the attack. Dropping the woman's foot, Sasami darted in, under the woman's foot, and flicking her hands through a few seals, watched as her hand became aflame with green fire. Pointing her hands, she managed to smack the woman's side with an open handed punch. Sasami grunted. She had missed what she was aiming for, but that hit must have left damage.

The woman backed up before she bent over and started to cough up blood. Sasami swore and said,

"Ahh, Souma-sensei! Are you ok?" Souma, still bent over, raised her hand and nodded.

"That was good, Hime-sama. Im glad that your chakra scalpel is getting better. I think you severed my abdominal muscles." Sasami swore loudly, and blushed. Rushing to her Sensei's side, her hands caught on fire again as she searched out the damage. Scrunching her nose up, Sasami tried to knit Souma's muscles together with as much accuracy as possible.

"There...I cant get it all, but when it heals you wont notice anything...or, you shouldnt. You should get checked out at the hospital. Gomen..." Souma laughed and ruffled Sasami's hair, making the single ponytail come loose. Sasami blushed and Souma said,

"You dont need to apologize. I sparred with you, and I expected to get hurt. Im impressed though, you are getting better." Sasami grinned and Souma laughed again.

Leaning back, Sasami brushed a few pink strands behind her ear and Souma noticed a slight dusting of rose across her face.

"What's wrong, Hime-sama? You're blushing!" Sasami started and her face turned a bright shade of red. Covering her mouth, Sasami glanced up. Souma's face has a sadistic smile on it. The dark skinned woman leaned forward a bit and said,

"Boy troubles?" Sasami squeeked and turned an even brighter shade.

"I-I...K-k-k...I m-miss K-kon-noha..." Souma's smile turned into a motherly one as she ignored the slight sting in her abs to give her student and queen a motherly hug. Sasami tensed up, but relaxed after a second. Souma whispered in Sasami's ear,

"I know, child. But all will be well, you shall see." Sasami smiled and wiped away the tears that had started to form.

"Souma-sensei...Someone is watching us." Sasami whispered as quietly as she could. Souma nodded and casually looked about. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary, she made a move to hug Sasami again.

"Let's just go back to the main hall." Sasami nodded and stood up. Straightening her thigh length casual obi, Sasami smiled at her teacher and helped her up. Souma stood with little difficulty, despite the constant stinging in her abdomen.

"We really need to get you to the hospital...I'm not quite sure how to heal that..." Sasami said, her face tinging red again. Souma laughed.

Walking out the archway that led to the small civilian hospital, Sasami saw Souma make a slight hand guesture at nothing. Turning her head back to the hall in front of her, she saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye, but upon looking, nothing was there. Shivering, Sasami continued to lead her teacher to the small hospital.

Stepping out into the streets of the large city Sasami lived in, it only took a few seconds before someone shouted.

"Hoku-Hime! Everyone, Its the Hoku-hime!" Sasami winced. Within seconds, she and Souma were surrounded.

"Please, Hoku-hime, can you heal this?"

"Please, Hoku-hime-sama!"

"Please, can-"

"Please!"

"Hoku-hi-" Sasami paniked. Stuck between her concern of the villages, and trying to get Souma to the hospital, Sasami flustered, and out of reflex shoved a young man that was blocking her way. Everyone's eyes followed the man's fall, as he didnt just fall, but flew a good ten feet back, taking out a few more citizens.

Sasami gasped. Every single eye was turned towards her, and the only sound was Souma sighing.

"G-gomen...I didn't even realize I used chakra! Are you alright sir?" Sasami said, rushing to the man through the now parted crowd. The man flinched at the sight of her, and backed away from her touch. Sasami withdrew her arms as tears pricked her eyes.

"Gomenasai..." The man ignored her, but kept a watchful eye as she ran back to her teacher.

Making it past the still and silent crowd, Sasami nearly broke into a cold sweat. Souma laughed quietly and said,

"Now, Hime-sama, they will think twice than to crowd you like that." Sasami looked down and her face reddened out of shame.

"Now they will fear me. I don't want that. Not at all." Souma gave a slight grin and said,

"They wont. They will fear your power, and with that fear brings respect." The pink haired girl grimaced.

"If that's what it takes to be respected, I'de rather be loved and helpless."

"If you were helpless, you would have been dead the first day you walked in here." Sasami's face lost a bit of colour, but she didnt move her gaze from her feet.

* * *

End Chapter 24 


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

* * *

"Ero-sennin! Hurry up! Stop being so old!" a hyperactive blonde yelled over the tree tops. A flash and bang of lightning followed making his statement seem much more to the point. The old man in question sighed and picked his pace up slightly, gracefully tapping the tops of the trees. His obvious amount of experiance showed to a third member of the group, that the old man was much more than he seemed.

Another flash bang sounded, startling the third member enough that he nearly missed the branch he was supposed to spring off of. Awkwardly using the unblanced momentum he gained, the boy pushed himself off the branch and managed a somewhat graceful landing on the the top of the next tree. Cheeks red from embarrassment, he was glad that his miss step was missed by his blonde companion, but was dismayed to see the old man chuckling at him.

"Oi! I see it! If you two stop dawdling we can be there in an hour!" The blonde yelled. The third member was about to respond, but another flash and bang interrupted him. A second later a sudden downpour of rain came out of nowhere, drenching the three member party in a matter of minutes.

"Che...This isn't worth it." The boy mumbled, tucking the shoulder length, and rather wet bangs behind his ears. The blonde laughed and spread his arms open wide as he continued to jump on the tree tops.

"Kouden! How can you do this with your eyes closed?" The boy yelled at the blonde. The blonde looked over at the third member and yelled, still smiling,

"Easy! I cheat!" The old man laughed quietly, and the boy blinked. Cheat? Taking a closer look at his companion, he saw that around his eyes were the typical veins of a Hyuuga. Grinning, the third member sped up a tad, in an inconspicuous manner, so that the old man would jump faster.

Shiro would like to be dry night fell completely.

Shaking his hair in a dog like fashion, Kouden laughed when his black haired teammate cursed at him. Taking off his black, orange, and sodden jacket, Kouden dumped it on the floor beside his equally sodden pack. Shiro, on the other hand, hung his white and blue coat up neatly.

Walking towards the door, Kouden paused when Shiro said,

"You plan on going like that? At least wear a proper shirt." Kouden frowned and looked down. He was wearing a fishnet top that, with Jiraiya's insistance, had a few small armoured plates sewn on the front. Extra protection from a stray kunai, Jiraiya had said, but the look in his eye suggested that it was something more.

"Shiro-teme, I'm fine in this. Worried I'm gonna freeze to death?" Kouden said, sugar dripping from his voice. Shiro bristled. Digging in his pack, he pulled out an olive green sweater similar to the one he wore now and tossed it at the blonde.

"Here. Give it back when you get back. I'm not worried about you freexing, Im worried about you getting arrested for indecent exposure, you loser." Kouden laughed and threw the sweat over his head. Not surprisingly it was two sizes too big. Kouden knew he had grown from the short figure he was in Konoha. He now stood close to 5'7", rather than the short 5' even. He had been excited at the prospect that after the three years, he would finally be taller, or around the same height as Shiro. But even though his three year parting with his teamated had been cut short after only just over a year and a half, Kouden was utterly dismayed to see that his teammate stood at nearly 6 feet tall.

Sighing, Kouden raised a hand in thanks before disapearing out the door. Walking down the corridoor, Kouden noticed that the architecture was pretty much the same as in many of the Inn's that he had seen in Konoha. Another flash and loud bang, shook the blonde from his thoughts. Grinning and rubbing the back of his head, Kouden stalked out of the inn and onto the now dark and muddy street.

* * *

Katoki paced. He was worried, very worried. He had been back from his unsucessful mission to the waterfall for three weeks now, and he had yet to tell Hinata about his slip up. Gnawing on his finger, he paced again across the small apartment.

"Katoki-kun? I'm ready." Katoki's head swiveled towards the plain white door of the small bedroom. Katoki grinned and ignored the slight pain that flickered across the eyes of the woman in front of him. Raising his arm, Katoki said,

"Ah, Hinata-chan, you look wonderful! Let's go!" Hinata blushed and took his arm.

An hour later found Katoki and Hinata sitting in the bar of a nice little restaurant the two had never been in before. Hinata's eyes were slightly unfocused, and the red that tinged her cheeks and her ears were not from embarrassment. Katoki, on the other hand, as he was quite a lot bigger than his female friend, was a little better off, but not by much. Hinata raised her hand about a foot from its rather comfortable place on the bar and said,

"Sssssssssake! Yers! Please, I mean." The man at the counter sighed and poured another small cup. Hinata nodded a sloppy thanks and sipped the hot liquid, thoroughly enjoying the warmth that spread through her chest.

"Mm..uhh...Me! Yea, me too, pleasssse." The bartender complied and Katoki slammed the entire cup. Hinata raised her eye brows at him and he grinned the particular grin that always made her heart hurt.

Sniffing back the feeling of bursting into tears, Hinata quickly finished her sake and ordered another one.

Another hour passed before a kind lady in her early twenties walking by a small bar was startled by two figures bursting through the door, laughing loudly.

Not able to put together cohearant sentances, the two just laugh at each other, hoping that they would find their apartment without trouble.

In fact, the two did find their apartment. Katoki got them there, but it was Hinata who had to pull him up the stairs as he had passed out. Trying to be as quiet as she could, as it was probably sometime near midnight, Hinata dragged Katoki's body up three flights of stairs. Sitting on the top step of the third flight, she took a 5 minute break. When she next opened her eyes, it was because Katoki was shaking her shoulders.

"Wake up! Wake up!" He kept saying over and over. There was a red line on his cheek that intersected with one of the scars on Katoki's face, making a very intresting 'x' shape that, at the moment, had all of her attention.

Hinata, then, without even thinking leaned forward and licked that particular 'x'. Katoki stiffened. Hinata stiffened as well. Katoki leaned back, and because of his drunken state, nearly fell down the stairs. Hinata tried to grab him to prevent him from falling, but her motor functions weren't that great at the moment and only succeeded in pushing her friend down them instead.

Katoki yelled loudly as he fell, and Hinata winced becasue the neighbours would surely complain. She winced again as she heard a loud crack accompany the thump that came with Katoki landing.

"Katoki-kun!" Hinata said, and tried to rush down the stairs. Nearly falling herself, she had a moment of pride that she didn't when she reached the landing. Falling to her knees beside Katoki she was dismayed to see the blood flowing down from his golden hair, staining it orange in some places. Pressing her hand on the wound, Hinata tried to summon up chakra to heal it, but her head felt as if it were underwater and she couldn't concentrate.

Swearing, she ripped the bottom of the lavender dress Katoki had bought her, and tied it around the rather short gash on Katoki's head. Turning him over so that she could drag him up the stairs, Hinata gasped and the colour drained from her face.

Katoki's arm was visably broken. Hinata almost threw up all the alcohol she had consumed. Cursing, she tried to move his arm as little as possible so that she could try and drag him up the stairs, without causing further injury.

Hinata soon realized, about three steps up, that getting him up the stairs in her condition was all but impossible. She was sweating bullets, and the hem of her ripped and had bloodly finger prints on it. Katoki was moaning and twitching, but didn't regain conciousness.

"Do you need help?" Hinata started and nearly dropped Katoki. Spinning around to see who spoke, Hinata clamped a hand over her stomach and mouth, as spinning while drunk was not a very good idea.

"Ah! You! Yes, I mean. Uhhh Please? Jusssssttah...there! My hhome. Shannnk...sh-th...thank! Thank you!" Hinata felt a moment's pride at finding the right word, but that was dashed when she saw the large man pick up Katoki. Something clicked in her brain and Hinata said shyly, as the large man carried Katoki up the stairs as if he weighed nothing.

"A-ano...are y-you that man...uhh...who helped m-me, th-that one t-time?" Hinata said, slowly and as accuratly as she could. The large man looked over his massive shoulders and nodded his head. Hinata sighed and gave a slurred thanks.

"This is your door right?" the large man said, stopping at a door that was labeled 3-12. Hinata nodded and fumbled around to get her keys. Fumbling with the lock, she finally got it opened, and stepped aside to let the large man in.

As he walked past her, Hinata couldn't help but notice that he made nearly no noise on the tatari mats as he plodded to the small couch and slid Katoki off his shoulder. Hinata went to her companion's side and looked up at the large man.

"Thank you...Umm...c-come talk t-to me...laterish? I can shan-thank you p-properly." The man noded once and left without a word, quietly closing the door behind him.

Hinata looked back at Katoki again, and traced the scar that ran from his left eye to the corner of his mouth. She also traced the very faint scars on his cheeks. Each one was thicker than her finger, and somewhere in the back of her brain a bell went off, but Hinata ignored it. She was too drunk to think.

Leaning down, Hinata held her face a mere inch from Katoki's as she hesitated. Blushing, Hinata didn't pull away, but she did scream a bit when all of a sudden a hand came crashing down on the back of her neck, forcing her lips onto Katoki's. Hinata's scream was cut off, but her face felt like exploding. Pulling away, Hinata looked at Katoki and saw him grinning slyly at her. Hinata blushed again, but lowered her face in for another kiss.

* * *

Hinata woke up feeling extremely hungover. Her head felt as if it had been stuffed with cotton, and her tongue felt fuzzy. Moaning at the morning light that was hurting her already sensitive eyes, Hinata rolled over and nearly screamed. Katoki moaned, but didnt wake up, or notice that his arms were being carefully unwrapped from around a redfaced individual. A red faced individual who, much to her dismay, was lacking a dress.

After finally geting free of Katoki's arms, she thought something felt off, but was too concerned about the whereabouts of her dress. Exiting the small room, she saw that Katoki's sweater was discarded on the arm of the couch, but her dress was still nowhere to be found.

"How...Uhhhnnn, he has some explaining to do." Hinata said out loud. She couldnt remember much of last night, just impressions of stairs, pain, and the large neighbour.

_Tak tak! _ Hinata dropped the sweater she had just picked up.

"Just a second, I will be right there!" She called, hurridly pulling the sweater over her head. Silently thanking Katoki's large size as the sweater came down almost to her knees, and well past her hands. Straightening her hair as best as she could with her hands, Hinata went to the door. Opening it, she immediately closed it.

* * *

"Go to Konoha as quickly as you can, tell them this: Iwa is attacking! The war has started!" A Jounin from Suna shouted at his only surviving genin. The genin nodded and boosted chakra to his legs, narrowly avoiding a doton missile of some kind. Looking back, the genin nearly screamed as said projectile decapitated his sensei.

* * *

"Godaime-sama!" the boy yelled as he burst into the Kazekage's office. Gaara, who was bouncing Kaisa on his knee, turned his head and quickly handed Kaisa off to Matsuri, who stood, concerned by his desk.

The boy was on all fours, panting as if he had been running all day.

"Godaime-sama...Iwa...the border...the war...Sensei!" The boy tried to yell, bursting into tears at the last word. Gaara's face didnt change, but his mood became grim. Walking around to the boy he put his hand on his shoulder and said,

"Don't worry. Your sensei will be avenged. Now, can you tell me everything you saw?" The deranged boy looked up at Gaara with puffy eyes.

"There was so much blood...it was everywhere...they...They came from no where, from the ground, the sky, everywhere. Uuuu, uuuu, sensei, uuuuu...he told me to go to Konoha and tell them, but I came here first." Gaara patted the boy's shoulder and said,

"You did the right thing."

20 Minutes later found a small group of the fastest nin escorting the boy, who even with Gaara's objections, refused to be held back. It was his sensei's dying wish, after all, for him to warn Konoha.

Concentrating nothing else but pumping chakra into his legs to keep up with the nondescript nin he was travelling with, the boy tightened his fist around the handle of a kunai that he held in case of a sudden ambush.

_Sensei...Tomo-chan...Kuromaru..._ the boy thought. He was the remaining member of the former cell 23. This was his first year being a gennin, and now thanks to the Iwa nin, he was going to have to apply for another team. It wouldnt be the same, but he'd grin and bear it. His father always told him that. To grin and bear it.

"Kid, you're lagging, keep up or go back." The boy snapped back to the world of the living and pumped an extra bit of chakra into his legs.

* * *

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune yelled as she burst through the office doors. Tsunade was quietly filling out reports. Shizune stopped and gawked. _Tsunade-sama is doing WORK?_ Tsunade glanced over at her disgruntled assistant and said,

"Shizune, stop gawking like that. What do you want?" Shizune was silent another half second before saying,

"S-suna...Tsunade-sama, they sent over a few nin." Tsunade became rapt as 3 nondescript nin entered the room. A fourth nin, quite smaller than the rest, was sleeping on one of the taller one's back.

"He passed out from exhaustion. We ran here full speed the entire way. He got within sight of the gates. This genin has potential." Tsunade sighed with agitation.

"What is the message? And after that, why do you have a genin with you?" The speaker, who was obviously the leader, said,

"War. It's begun. His sensei told him to tell Konoha, right before he died. He was just furfilling his death wish." Tsunade nodded.

"Shizune, escort our guests to the rooms to let them rest. Suna to Konoha is a three day travel normally, I'm sure you're exhausted." The leader nodded again, and Shizune lead the group out.

"Chiyo!" Tsunade called as the group left the room. The left guard jumped and ran into the room.

"Hai, Godaime-sama!" She called. Tsunade grabbed a scroll and a pen. Scribbling down a few names, she handed them to the eager Kunoichi and said,

"Find them, bring them here, tell them that lateness is not accepted. I expect them all here within the hour." Chiyo nodded and disapeared in a poof of smoke. Tenting her fingers, Tsunade rested her forehead on her thumbs.

"I really need to name a sucessor." Grabbing her emergency sake she kept under the desk, the blonde didn't even pull out a cup.

Surprisingly, the first person to arrive was Kakashi. Tsunade almost had a heart attack. Seconds later, Sasuke and Sakura appeared, Sakura still holding her dark haired baby girl. Ino, Sai, and Chouji appeared next, Ino slightly winded. Tsunade frowned. Ino had some difficulties with her last child. She never quite recovered, and often got tired. Sai patted her back, and Chouji offered her chips. Waving them off, Ino jumped back as another poof of smoke revealed Neji, Tenten, and a tired looking Kurenai. Tsunade frowned at Kurenai. She shouldnt be here, she wasn't on the list. It had been almost 15 years since Asuma's death and she was still depressed about it.

"Kurenai, go home, I didn't call for you." Kurenai's eyes were full of hurt, but not from being rejected. No, the hurt Kurenai's crimsom eyes held had worn away her soul to its bear minimum. Without even acknowledging Tsunade, she poofed out of the room.

Anko was the next to show up. Although it wasn't quiet, like the rest of the Jounin in the room. No, she used a flash bang jutsu of some kind, and only suceeded in making everyone mad, and Uchiha Sara cry. Rubbing the back of her head, she grinned in a very Naruto-like way but stopped when Tsunade glared at her. Giving a forced giggle, she mooched to the back of the room and leaned against the wall. Tsunade was about say something, but another poof, revealing Kiba, Hana, and

"Alright. Now that everyone is here..." Tsunade began. But a hand raised in the back and Sakura spoke up, rocking her baby with one hand.

"Tsunade-sama, where is Shino-kun? And Shikamaru-kun... And why is Kakashi here?" Kakashi glared at his former student.

"Shino is near the border of Sound. He is helping to stop the sound raids. Shikamaru is with Temari in Suna already. And Kakashi was the first one to arrive. Nearly killed me." Everyone in the room gasped and Kakashi grunted, clearly annoyed.

"But now that everyone is here, I have just received news from a messenger from Suna. Iwa have attacked near the border of Suna and the Bird Country, which according to my report, has been recently bought by the Tsuchikage. The war has started. Be ready for it. This may turn into the third secret shinobi war." Some one groaned in the back ground.

"Now, what I need you to do, is to tell every single shinobi ranked Jounin and up to meet in the courtyard in front of this building. Then, after they have been informed, Sasuke, Kakashi, Anko, and Tenten, I need you to go to Kumogakure as fast as you possibly can and warn the Raikage. Get as many units as possible. Stay with them until they head out towards Suna. Fight with them until they reach Suna, and report to the Kazekage when you get there. This is an S class mission. When you report to Gaara, it will be considered a success. To the rest of you, I will be giving furthur instructions when you all arrive tomorrow morning at 6 am sharp, am I clear?"

"Hai!" everyone, save Kakashi, said in unison. Everyone poofed out of the room, and left Shizune and Tsunade coughing from the smoke.

* * *

"Kakashi." Neji said, as he leap in stride with the older man.

"Hmm?" He said, traversing another building.

"Give my regards to Hinata-sama in case I dont see her again." Kakashi's face was expressionless, but after a moment he nodded. Neji smiled and split directions.

Kakashi shook his head and stopped suddenly. Using chakra to walk down the side of the building, he leaned down and peered through a window. Inside were three figures, three insanely youthful figures.

"Gai, Lee-kun, the war has started. Meet at the courtyard at 6 am. Fei-kun, you stay alert too. They will be calling chuunins later on." Kakashi disapeared to find his next target. Gai had dropped his bowl of cookie dough, and Lee had dropped the spoon. Fei, Lee's near identical student, save his big, round, blue eyes, silently picked up both and started munching on it.

"Fei!" Lee yelled, happy that his student showed his youthful sneaking and eating of the cookie dough, but irritated that he wasn't going to get any cookies.

"Oh, Lee-sensei! That yell was so youthful!" Lee's eyes sparkled.

"Oh, Fei! That steal was so youthful!" The two embraced, and after a second, they both, youthfully, yelled,

"Gai-sensei!" and the three group hugged.

Sakura, who didn't see Kakashi, was just about to tell the three of the war, but quickly left, nearly disgusted at the sight.

* * *

"Hanabi-sama, it is official, we are at war. I need you to gather all the Jounin up and tell them to meet Tsunade tomorrow at 6 am in the courtyard outside the Hokage tower." Hanabi nodded. Neji glanced back at the man sitting behind Hanabi, and scowled to himself.

Hiashi was staring at the last photograph ever taken of Hinata while she had been alive. It had Hanabi holding onto Hinata's arm, an annoyed look on her face, with Hinata smiling nervously down at her. Neji was laughing and ruffling her hair, hence the annoyed look. Hiashi sighed.

"I want to fight." Hanabi blinked and looked back.

"Otou-sama...you are not in any condition to be fighting!" Hanabi said. Neji remained stoic. Hiashi scoffed.

"What are you talking about, Hanabi-chan. I'm in perfect condition. There is nothing you can do to stop me. Even as clan leader, I am considered an elder. We can overpower you." Hanabi's face fell slightly.

"Otou-sama, this isn't about the clan, this is your daughter speaking out of love." Neji found it harder to remain stoic. He could never remain in this man's presence for very long any more. Not since he was ordered to kill Hinata.

"Hanabi-chan...there is nothing you can do to stop me." He said, softly.

"I have to get going, I still have many more to warn, including the Aburame clan." Hanabi inclined her head.

"Give my regards to Naomi-san and Daisuke-san, tell them I congradulate them." Neji nodded and smiled. Naomi was a minor branch member that he remembered babysitting when he was younger. She had recently married an Aburame, a union only aloud because her Byakugan was so weak, she couldnt even use it. All she had that signified her a Hyuuga were the white eyes, and the curse seal.

Neji quickly left and headed straight for the Aburame compound. Only stopping twice to tell stray Jounin about the meeting, Neji made it there in a few seconds short of ten minutes. Sprinting through the gates, Neji immediatly saw the few kikai bugs land on his shoulder with his byakugan. Resisting the urge to brush them off, he didn't stop sprinting untill he reached the main house. Upon reaching, he was greeted by a familar face.

"Shibi-san. I have urgent news, and you were just the person I was looking for." Shibi didn't say anything but waved his hand and the kikai bugs flew off of Neji's shoulder.

"Please, inform all of your Jounins and Chuunins that the war has started. Hokage-sama requests the presence of all Jounins, and most likely, your Chuunins later. I suggest informing the Genins as they will probably be taking care of the back lines." Shibi nodded and turned back to his household.

"Neji!" Neji turned his head as he left the Aburame compound.

"Tenten!" He called back. Stopping, he waited for his wife to catch up.

"Neji, I've told as many Jounin as I could find in the eastern section, and the others are ready to leave. I just wanted to say bye before I left." Neji nodded and wasn't the least bit surprised when she lunged onto his face.

Clearing his throat, Sasuke tapped the ground with his foot. Neji glared at the raven haired katon user.

"I suppose I wont be seeing you untill the Kumo get to Suna...which might take a while." Neji said,

"I doubt that long. Not a month, anyway. I'm sure when they do start to move, we will travel with the anbu and jounin, making the trip that much faster. I will see you soon!" Tenten said, and kissed Neji again.

"C'mon you kids, let's go before the world ends!" Anko exclaimed. Tenten wrinkled her nose and gave Neji one last hug.

"Ja, mata." She said, and with a quiet whoosh dissolved into the night. Neji sighed

* * *

End Chapter 25

Ahhh, thank you all for reading this story! I just want to apologize for the wait between the last chapter and this, and to apologize for the next wait.

Last week was exam week at my highschool, and for the next two or three weeks, I have 6 new courses that are being activated, and I have to finish my old ones.

I probably wont post anything untill the end of Febuary.

Sorry! But thank you all for reading Mokushita!


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Shiro stared at the door that had just been slammed in his face. Turning to his shorter, blonde friend, he said,

"Was that...?" Kouden nodded, his mouth hanging open. "Kouden, your Kaa-sama's hot." Kouden turned his head angrily and hit Shiro on the side of his head as hard as he could.

Hinata stood with her back to the door. Her hand covered her mouth as she held in a shout. Scrambling to her room, she quickly grabbed a pair of leggings and rammed her legs into them as fast as possible.

Running back to the door, she opened it, and said,

"What are you doing here?!?" Kouden didn't answer, but instead stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his now shorter mother.

"Kaa-san..." he said, nearly sobbing. Hinata tensed up, but soon gave in and warmly embraced Kouden. Shiro shifted awkwardly, but couldnt help but notice how much Kouden didn't look like Hinata. Pulling away, Hinata took a breath and held it in for a moment.

"Well, I suppose you should come in now." She said, finally. Kouden grinned and Shiro nodded.

"Ahh, Kaa-san...why didn't you ever contact me? Where have you been? Here?" Hinata shook her head, but didn't answer. Instead, she motioned for the two boys to sit in the small sitting room.

"Ahh, Shiro-kun, you've grown since I last saw you properly!" Shiro blinked and Kouden tilted his head.

"Ahh...Hinata-sama...I don't think I've ever met you..." Hinata blinked and then laughed a small delight-filled laugh. Shiro looked at Kouden, who just shrugged.

"I will make some tea, and then I will answer some of your questions. Some of them though." Kouden winced at the underlying anger and sadness that was skillfully hidden in his mother's voice.

Meanwhile, Katoki started to stir. He kept hearing a muffled klink of some kind, and he couldn't identify it, which bothered him.

Rolling over, he noticed the lack of warmth beside him seconds before the headache hit. Groaning, Katoki rolled over again, but this time he was clutching his head. The dull throbbing that was preventing him from thinking straight was almost a relief to Katoki. This was a hangover, not an episode.

Licking his lips, Katoki nearly retched at the fuzzy texture his tongue seemed to gain over night. Opening his eyes, Katoki squinted as everything was racing around the edge of his vision. Looking to the left and right, he tried to focus properly, when suddenly everything just slowed down. Katoki blinked again, and saw that his vision cleared. His tongue seemed a little less fuzzy, and his cheeks, which he didn't even realize were hurting, stopped hurting.

Bringing his hand to his cheeks, he was surprised to find that the old scars opened up again. Cursing, Katoki pressed his blanket onto his cheek. After a minute, the bleeding stopped, and let Katoki sit and deal with the throbbing behind his eyes.

Katoki grimaced. He remembered nearly everything last night, from the amount of sake he had consumed, to falling down the stairs. Katoki stopped. Rubbing his arms, he blanched. Scrambling to his feet, much to his head's dismay, Katoki threw the door to his bedroom open and yelled,

"Hinata-chan! My ar--uhhhhh..." Katoki blinked. He was not expecting to see the blonde kid and his friend sitting in his house. Especially not with Hinata.

_Oh Kami-sama, she's gonna kill me..._ was Katoki's first thought.

"Ohayou gazaimasu, Katoki-san!" Kouden waved. Hinata glanced at Katoki. Shiro didn't say anything, but he did bow his head.

"So anyway, Kouden-kun, how did you find out where I lived?" Kouden grinned.

"I got here last night, so I went and saw the Raikage."

_"Is this the right way to the Raikage tower?" Kouden asked a random stranger. The stranger grunted and pointed at the round building with yellow trim. _

_"Ahh, arigato, ni-san!" Kouden said, and jogged off in that direction, occasionally jumping as a clap of thunder sounded. Kouden grunted as flash of lightning went off again. It was raining really hard now._

_"Aaa, Is this the Raikage's office?" Kouden yelled out as he approached the building. One of the two shinobi guarding the entrance nodded and gave Kouden a wink. Kouden grinned widely and ran through the doors into a much dryer enviroment._

_"Can I help you, boy?" A lady sitting at a desk said. Kouden looked up and resisted the urge to shake his head like a dog to get the water off._

_"A-ano...I'm here to see the Raikage..." The lady looked at a clip board and said, _

_"He is busy with someone right now, but he should be free-" a door on the far side of the room opened, and much to Kouden's surprise, Jiraiya walked out. He was holding himself high, and was sucking on a pipe._

_"Ero-sennin?" Jiraiya coughed and stumbled._

_"BOY! I told you not to call me that!" Jiraiya shouted, just as another old man walked out of the office._

_"Ahh, Jiraiya-san, who might this be? And...Ero-sennin?" Jiraiya didn't say anything, but his ears turned a bright shade of red. He gave Kouden a look of murder that sucessfully made Kouden want to crawl in a hole._

_"Ahh, Nothing, Raikage-sama. This is Kouden, my personal apprentice." The Raikage nodded and looked over._

_"My...he really does, doesnt he..." Jiraiya nodded, but Kouden was puzzled. "Now, my boy. How can I help you?" Kouden shuffled his feet, his words suddenly stuck in his throat._

_"Uhnnn, a-ano...I-I...I was wondering if...If...if you could tell me where Katoki-san lives?" The Raikage was silent for a second, as he gazed upon Kouden with his old brown eyes._

_"Ok. Nanao, write down dear Katoki's address for this boy." The secretary blinked and nodded._

_"...That's it? I dont have to argue about secrecy?" The Raikage laughed, and was joined by Jiraiya a second later._

_"Of course not boy! Thanks to Jiraiya, anyway. Now git goin'." Kouden grinned and nodded, taking the slip of paper that Nanao was holding out for him._

_"Arigato gozaimasu!" Kouden shouted and dashed out into the rain._

"I went back to the hotel and convinced Shiro to come and see you." Kouden finished, and took a sip of his tea. Mint. Kouden smiled.

"No, I mean, how did you know that I lived with Katoki-kun?" Kouden paused and looked at the other blonde.

"He told me, in waterfall country. He fainted in the road, and Jiraiya brought him back. When he woke up, he mentioned you, and then told us that you lived with him! I'm so happy you're alive!" Kouden said, scooting over and embracing Hinata, Hinata put her arm around him, but shot daggers at Katoki, who took a step back. Shiro just sipped his tea.

"What was it you were trying to tell me, Katoki-_san_?" Katoki winced at the formality, but pointed to his arm and said,

"Thank you for healing my arm!" Hinata's face lost all anger as she gazed at his arm.

"Katoki-kun...I didnt...what? Let me see..." Katoki's face dropped.

"Ehhhh?" Moving his arm around, he said, "It's definitly healed though..." Hinata stood up, and Katoki couldn't help but notice she was wearing his sweater. Controlling his thoughts to just a slight tinge of red on his ears, he held out his arm to Hinata, who was reaching for it.

Hinata's hands lit up in the familiar green fire and she placed them on his arm, spreading a small and comforting warmth in the area.

"It's healed nicely...I dont...did I..?" Katoki laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Kaa-san...Is Katoki your boyfriend?" Hinata twitched. Katoki looked at her face and saw that it was an impossible shade of red.

"Kouden-kun...Shiro-kun...I think that maybe you should leave, and come back later tonight, we can all go out to dinner, and I can use the time to think of more answers. Come back here at 6, ok?" Kouden nodded and He and Shiro stood. Hinata hugged her now taller son and planted a kiss on his cheek. Kouden blushed slightly, but Hinata wasted no time in pushing the two boys out of her apartment.

Katoki started to get a gut feeling that his health wasn't exactly safe at the moment, and glanced around to find a quick escape route. But before he could think of anything, Hinata shut the door softly and whispered so low that Katoki almost didn't catch it.

"Where's my dress?" Katoki's face reddened, and he turned to the fuuton. There, half tucked underneath a pillow was a crunched up lavender peice of fabric. Holding it out to Hinata, she snatched it from his hands and let it drape down. Seeing the blood at the bottom where a strip of fabric, that was still tied to Katoki's head, had been ripped. Turning the dress around, Hinata's breath caught in her throat.

There was a long, clean cut going down the back of the dress.

"I...er...a-ano...Katoki-kun...did...did we...?" Her face was a deep red that had spread to her neck and ears. Katoki waved his hand in front of him.

"Noooo! No! I dont think so, I'de certainly remember if we did..." Katoki paused and leaned forward. "But from what I do remember, you certainly tried." Hinata's face lost all colour as she grabbed the nearest object, which just so happened to be a steel teapot, and bashed Katoki over the head with it.

The pain rang through Katoki's head, and started to throb along with the throb of his hangover. Laying on the floor, he was vaguely aware of Hinata distressing over him, and apologizing profoundly.

Katoki's eyes were half-lidded as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

_A girl with dark hair lay on the ground, he could see that her was breathing erratic, he could hear her heart beat unsteadily. He watched her eyes close as she was hauled away by...someone. Swirling around, his vision clouded over, but the anger and pain that seared through his heart nearly made scream._

"Katoki! Katoki!" some one was yelling. Katoki groaned and rolled over.

"Katoki-kun! Thank kami-sama!" Katoki looked over and saw his pearl eyed roomate staring back at him. Raising a cool hand to his forehead, Katoki said,

"Nnnn, how long was I out this time?" Hinata looked away, her face full of shame.

"About 4 hours. Gomen...I caused an episode, didn't I?" Katoki smiled and nodded.

"That's ok! I remembered more stuff this time!" Hinata couldnt help but grin at his attitude. Katoki sat up and was surprised that his hangover was gone.

"My hangover is gone too!" Katoki said, louder, which wiped the grin off of Hinata's face as she cringed.

"Shhh...mine's not." Katoki laughed, and Hinata swatted him.

"Ahh! Ah! I really do thank you for healing my arm! I remembered tumbling down the stairs and breaking it, but how did you get me back?" Hinata paused and stared at his arm.

"...I didn't bring you back, I think the neighbour helped me...that silent one." Katoki nodded, "d-demo...Katoki-k-kun...I really dont think I healed your arm...I mean, I think I remember trying...It's so fuzzy..." Hinata said, her voice choking up. Katoki grimaced and leaned forward.

"Dont cry, Hinata-chan! There is nothing to cry about!" Hinata looked up at her roomate with unshed tears, and nearly laughed at his face.

"We...We have to get ready...Kouden-kun and Shiro-kun are coming soon." Katoki nodded and Hinata stood up. Walking out of the bedroom, she paused and said,

"Thank you for telling him. I really did miss him." Katoki grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

The raikage grunted as he finished reading a rather long scroll. Setting the scroll down, he noticed one of the shinobi fidgeting.

"Is everything the matter, shinobi-san?" The Jounin in particular froze. Raising a hand to her purple hair, she laughed weakly and said,

"G-gomen, Raikage-sama, no offence, but I still remember the war with Kumogakure." the Raikage grunted, and very skillfully hid a blush as that particular Jounin moved her arm and the long trench coat she wore moved, exposing her chest, and the fishnet that hid nothing.

"No offence taken. Those were darker times. But in related events, I will say that it should take about three weeks to rally together all the shinobi who will be participating, along with a plan to defeat the Iwa-nin. I suggest that you relax as much as you can untill you are called for. But please try to stay in Kumogakure. We have several training grounds, and even a few tourist sights, if you get bored. I will call you when needed." The old man paused before adding, "In Konohagakure, I beleive the Hokage signals you with hawks? Seeing as hawks are not a natural inhabitant around here, we use snowy owls instead. Two screeches means you have been requested here." The group of four Konoha-nin nodded in unison.

"Arigato Yondaime-sama, your kindness will not be forgotten in the future." The raikage bowed his head, and dissmissed the group.

"Stop fussing, or I will use the pressure point again! The painful one!" A young woman nearly shouted as she struggled to keep a small child still. The threat seemed to work as the child stopped struggling, but the woman could clearly feel the resentment leaking from the child.

"That's better." The woman said, ruffling the child's light blue mop. The child growled but remained quiet.

"Are we ready to leave?" A male voice said from the mist that was covering the area.

"Hai, Yamato-kun, take him." The woman said.

"Her!" The child yelled.

"What?" The woman said, as she pushed the child towards Yamato.

"I'm a girl!" The woman laughed and gave the girl one final push towards Yamato. Yamato materialized out of the swirling mist and raised his hand up in a seal. Wordlessly, he flicked his fingers and the girl collapsed to the ground.

"She's the right one, right?" The woman asked. Yamato took out a small peice of yellow paper, and placed it on top of the girls forhead. The paper shone blue for a second before it appeared to melt as if water had been dumped on it.

"She is. Good work Kasumi." Kasumi knelt down beside the girl and peeled the wet peice of paper, now useless, off of the young girl's face.

"Sad really. She looks like she's what, 8? Too bad she's gonna die." Wrinkling her nose, she stood up and grinned at Yamato. Yamato bent down to pick up the blue haired girl, as Kasumi watched with renewed fascination. The scar across his face made her want to touch the one on her own, and reminded her of the nasty ones across his throat and torso.

"Do you remember Hinata-san?" Kasumi said after the pair, Yamato carrying the girl, started to walk into the failing light.

"How could I forget. She saved my life. I wouldn't exactly say that I'm a good person, but I'm indebted to her." Kasumi nodded.

"I researched her. Last month when we were undercover in Konoha. Their libraries are packed full of information. But to the point, I was curious, she said that her son went there to train to become shinobi. She was a shinobi herself, she must have a record. So I looked at all of the missing nin and dead nin names from the past 20 years. I found three Hinatas. An Akuzuu Hinata, she was a nuke-nin for three weeks before she was caught and killed. Her crime was that she lost her temper and killed 14 people in the market once. The second one was a Katara Hinata, but she was killed in the sound raid all those years ago, when the Sandaime Hokage was killed. Poor girl, she was 9 years old."

"Kasumi, get on with it." Yamato said, adjusting how the small girl was draped over his back and shoulders.

"Ahh, Sumimasen. I find information intresting." Kasumi threw her partner a grin, but he just sighed and motioned for her to continue.

"Ah..alright. The third Hinata was a Hyuuga, but she was made into a nuke nin after killing a boy her age named Uzumaki Naruto. They had both recently turned 17. The next day it said, she was killed by an unnamed ANBU. But check this out, she was killed 14 years ago. When we received assistance from her, she said her son was nine years old. That was 5 years ago. Who's to say that that Hinata is our Hinata. Wouldn't that be a lovely tale to jot down? Maybe I should find her, if she is still alive, and make her tell me the story. I will publish the book, and we can support Manjuushage for Leader-sama!" Yamato sighed.

"So what if that Hinata was our Hinata. It just means the ANBU didn't have the guts to finish her off." Kasumi wriggled her nose in a very rabbit like way.

"But you see, she said she had a son. He would have the Byakugan, most likely, I'm sure I read somewhere that the byakugan was a dominent trait that liked to over power nearly everything." Yamato shook his head.

"So? Her son has magic eyes. Whoop dee." Kasumi stuck her finger up.

"How many 9 year olds did we see in Konoha with white eyes?" Yamato grunted.

"I saw two! Well, one was like, 9-ish looking, but I couldnt be sure. But I saw him in a crowd of Hyuuga at a memorial service. He had a bandage tied around his head, and I figured he was covering a curse seal. The other one was that blonde kid I saw who frequented the training grounds."

"The one who sparred with the pink haired girl often?" Yamato asked in a surprisingly bright voice.

"Yea! That one! I saw him once with a girl with buns and brown hair too." Kasumi said.

"No. You're wrong, that boy had green eyes. He used to walk by our shop often." Kasumi grinned and Yamato looked at her as if she was crazy.

"You see, I got intrested into why he always passed by one day, and followed him. Everywhere and around Konoha. He met up with this freaky kid and his equally freaky teacher doing one handed pushups and yelling about youth or something. Then he went to the library and read books that had to do with Konoha's honourable mentions...or what ever they call it in that leaf covered village.

Anyway, when he was reading, I tipped over a stack of books once, and startled him. He spun around and his eyes were pearly white. Exactly like Hinata-san's, and every other Hyuuga I've seen. I apologized and pretended not to notice. He must have noticed later though. When He left the library, he had emerald eyes again. Strange how Hinata-san decided to hide her Hyuuga son with a Hyuuga."

"Alright, Kasumi, was there a point? Or a moral?" Kasumi wriggled her nose again and said,

"If we ever meet him again, should we extend our curtesies to him as well as his mother? If he was still living with her, you would have ended up on the floor." Yamato shrugged.

"Whatever, we aren't ever going to meet them again anyway."

"Nmmfff..." Kasumi glanced at Yamato's shoulder.

"Kuso, she's waking up. Here, hold still." Yamato froze and Kasumi tiltled the girl's head back before she delicately poked the side of her neck. The blue haired girl went limp again, and Yamato nodded an approval. Kasumi blushed slightly and started to laugh.

"So you never answered this morning. Why did you leave me, Kaa-san?" Kouden asked. Hinata paused mid-sip.

"Kouden... You must understand...Your father...ever since He died, I have this pain in my heart. No matter how hard I try, it never goes away. I feared that when you left for Konoha, it would kill me. I decided to sever all connections so that when I died, you wouldnt be sad." Katoki tightened his grip on the glass of sake in front of him.

"Hinata-sama? May I ask a question?" Hinata bowed her head and Shiro continued.

"How do you know me?" Hinata smiled.

"I was under a guise in Konoha until Kouden left with Jiraiya." Kouden's mouth opened.

"But! Why didn't you ever visit me! Ever!" Hinata grinned again.

"Oh, But I did. I had tea at your house, every tuesday with my dear cousin."

"KASUMI?" Kouden yelled. Hinata blushed, and the bar became silent. Kouden blushed and waved his hands.

"Gomen everyone, it's nothing to pay mind too...please, go back to your meals..." Shiro had his face in his hands, and Katoki was laughing.

Ten minutes of small questions passed by before Kouden remained silent for a good moment.

"Is something wrong?" Hinata asked her son. Shiro leaned in a tad to listen better. He had seen the look on the boy's face before.

"...In all of the history I read, it says you killed Tou-sama...how did he die? When I was a kid, you used to tell me that you would tell me when I was old enough, and im almost 14. I think Im old enough now." Hinata was silent. Her eyes had a faraway look in them.

"He...He got in the way. He took a killing blow for me, and died in my arms. He didn't even know about you. I fled the village shortly after. Neji-ni-san was sent after me by Otou-sama, to kill me and cover up the killer's misdeeds. Neji spared my life and wrote me off as dead, so that I might raise you in peace." Shiro's blue eyes were wide. Kouden's were not quite so wide, but much calmer.

"Who. I swear, I will kill him." Kouden said. His voice low and even. Hinata turned to her son and said,

"No. No, you will not know. I will NOT have you turn out to be against everything I taught you. I have met the man, and he suffers enough in his daily life." Kouden narrowed his eyes, but his anger was stopped when a rough hand grabbed his shoulder.

"That's enough boy. Your mother's right. Revenge is useless, it benefits no one, and only causes pain." Kouden shook his head slightly before nodding to the taller blonde. Kouden stood up and said,

"I swear I wont take revenge for Tou-sama. Does any one other than Shika-ni-chan, Neji-ni-san, and Kakashi-sensei know about my parents? Oh, and Jiraiya and Shiro know too, obviously."

"Ino knows. Sai-san too." Kouden blinked.

"Ino-san? Oh! Kaa-san, Jiraiya told the Kazekage too...and his wife..." Hinata drooped.

"Oh Kami-sama. Does the entire world need to know?"

"Will you ever come back to Konoha, Hinata-sama?" Shiro said, getting tired of being ignored. Hinata looked at his with her white eyes.

"I rather like it here. Maybe to visit...but I doubt as myself. Im sorry, Shiro-kun, Kouden..."

"Can I tell Tsunade-oba-chan? She'd be happiest, I think." Hinata looked away and over and Katoki. Katoki's face tinged a slight red before he shrugged.

"Give me time to write her a letter. How long are you staying in Kumo?"

"We are leaving with the army to help fight in the war." Hinata grimaced. The door to the small bar slammed loud enough for Hinata to turn and look over her shoulder.

"Ehhhh?? H-HINATA???" Hinata's face drained of all colour as she stared at the figure in the doorway.

End Chapter 26

Sorry for the wait! I wont be updating as fast anymore, but I will try!


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

* * *

Sasuke grumbled as Tenten and Anko dragged him and Kakashi along down the semi crowded streets of Kumogakure.

"Oh Sasuke-san, you wont have anything to tell Sakura-san if you dont get drunk! Anko-nechan agrees, right?"

"Wholeheartedly. Maybe we can...you know, Kakashi-kun?" Kakashi sighed and said,

"I'll tell Iruka you were hitting on me again. I dont think you are setting a good example for Chiyo-chan." Anko blushed and whispered loudly,

"I'll tell Shizune-san that you..." Kakashi paled and blushed almost simutanously. Waving his hand and laughing loudly, Anko smiled creepily, and Kakashi ignored the curious stares from the younger jounin.

The sun was starting to set, and Sasuke could hear low rumbles of the thunder that nearly constantly boomed in the mountains that lay on the west horizon. Tenten and Anko finally stopped in front of a small restaurant.

"This place has no huge food shops. I swear, all we see are small little bars and food stands." Tenten said, pouting slightly. Kakashi shrugged, but Sasuke remained stoic.

Pushing through the door, Tenten took a good look around. In the back of the bar was a pair of fat buisness men being entertained by three scantilly clad women, and at the actual bar, sat her step son.

"...Kouden?" Tenten said. Everyone's eyes swiveled towards the boy, and by chance, the woman who's back was turned to Tenten glanced over. Her eyes were pale and had no pupils.

"H-HINATA??" The woman turned back fully and her face paled. Everyone was looking at Tenten, except her teammates. Their eyes were all focused on the pale eyed, and pale faced woman.

"T-t-t-t-t-tenten?" She said. Kouden grimaced, and Shiro shrank down a bit. Katoki set his glass down, but drew no attention.

"Is...is that you? Kouden! What's...Your ey---" Tenten didn't finish her statement because Hinata's eyes rolled back into her skull, and she crumpled onto the floor.

"Kaa-san!" Kouden shouted, and dove for Hinata. Tenten felt herself pale a bit.

"...Kaa-san? But...you...er..." Blinking, Tenten found herself looking up at a tiled ceiling. Sitting up, she put a hand to her head and said to no one in particular,

"Woah...where am I?"

"Hinata-chan's house...aparently." a voice said from the corner. Tenten glanced over and saw Kakashi sitting by the single window of the plain room, reading a book. A dirty book from the blush across the old man's face.

"Did I scare that poor woman much? I mean, I just screamed her name out...Hinata's been dead for 15 years...I dont know what possessed me..." Kakashi clapped his book shut and looked up at Tenten.

"No, no. That's Hinata-chan, the one we all know and love, Kouden's mother and first teacher." Kakashi looked at the door, and ignored the gaping face of Tenten.

"Well, you're awake. Hinata-chan is waiting with tea." With that said, Kakashi sauntered towards the door and disapeared around the frame.

* * *

"Tenten-san!" Hinata said as her cousin's wife entered the living room, looking slightly dazed.

"Ahh, now the whole group is here. You can start answering our questions." Sasuke said, making the small woman jump. Kouden scooted closer to Hinata and glared at Sasuke.

"Kouden...This woman...Hinata?" Kouden grimaced.

"Ka-chan...I'm sorry we lied. I always knew my parents...well, Kaa-san." Tenten was a bit taken back.

"Who...I shouldn't even ask. Naruto-kun is your Tou-san, right?" Kouden grinned loudly and nodded. Tenten scanned the room, and saw Kakashi sitting on the small couch beside Anko, who was snarfing dango down, and drinking tea. Kakashi was staring at Sasuke, who was leaning against the back wall, glaring daggers at Katoki, who was trying hard not to notice, but a small twitch in his neck gave it away.

"So why did you two fake your deaths?" Sasuke said, nearly snarling.

"Fake? What are you talking about." Katoki said, turning his head to glare back at Sasuke.

"You know, When you and Hinata-san apparently died, and caused us all 15 years of greif." Hinata gasped as Katoki was left speechless.

"Sasuke-san...That's not Na-...him...It's someone different." Katoki glanced at Hinata and saw the sadness in her eyes. His fingers tightened on his knee, and he took a deep breath.

"Waa? That," Sasuke said, pointing at Katoki, "is Naruto-dobe." Katoki narrowed his eyes, and rubbed his temple at the sudden headache he was getting.

"Stop saying his name. I'm not this Naruto. I've never met him, and if I had, I would have beat his ass into the ground for what he did to Hinata-chan." Hinata hiccuped and Katoki looked over.

"Kuso...Hinata-chan, I'm sorry..." Hinata waved her hand and took a sip of tea. Anko was watching her with concern, whilst Kakashi was watching Katoki. His mask was on, so no one could see his grin.

"What is your name then, if you aren't Naruto. You haven't graced us with that yet." Sasuke sneered.

"Kyoudai no Katoki, Special Jounin of Kumogakure, at your service." Sasuke couldnt help but laugh. It sounded rather cruel to Hinata, but she sighed in embarassment anyway.

"Kyoudai, for real?" Sasuke said, still laughing. Katoki stood up and over stood Sasuke by a full two inches.

"Repeat that, Sharingan no Uchiha?" Sasuke was about to retort, but the two men were forced away from each other by Kakashi. Who calmly stepped in between them and said,

"Now...Let's be civil for Hinata-chan's sake. By the way, Hinata-chan, Neji-san sends his regards." Hinata nodded and smiled. Tenten was still standing by the kitchen when she said,

"Neji knew? Who else knew that you were hiding from us?" Hinata flinched at the underlying anger in her cousin-in-law's voice.

"Er...Neji-ni-san was the one who was sent to...kill me. He's always known. Kakashi-sensei and Shikamaru-san found us in the first place...Ino-chan and Sai-san know...Kouden-kun told me that he and Jiraiya-sama told Gaara-sama..."

"Where is he? If you are alive, then Naruto is alive. There is no way that I can see you killing him anyway." Sasuke said, rather harshley. Katoki reached over Kakashi and punched the raven haired man square in the jaw.

"Don't be so rude! Look what you've done!" Katoki said, pointing at the dark haired woman. Her eyes were downcast and filled with tears. Looking up with a hard look that made Katoki both angry and sad, she stared Sasuke right in the eye.

"It's fine. Sasuke-san, He's dead. He died in my arms, protecting me. Dead and gone. 15 years ago. He didn't even know about Kouden-kun." Sasuke rubbed his jaw and sighed. Hinata, still looking at him was surprised to see that his entire body gave off signals of weariness. He had really been hoping for good news.

"I hope you know that you are going to have to come back to Konoha eventually." Anko piped up, not wanting to be left out.

"I'm a fully registered chuunin of Kumogakure. I don't exist in Konoha. I see no reason." Kouden looked sadly at his mother's profile and then back at the floor. Shiro pursed his lips. Hinata had turned out to be half of what he had expected, but the coldness she tried to give off, it didnt suit her. Even if he had just met her, he could tell.

Anko chomped another dango inhalf, and licked the bean paste as it ran down her chin.

The silence, other than Anko's loud slurping of bean paste, was broken by Katoki suddenly reeling over and smashing onto the teapot that Hinata had set on the small table.

"Katoki-kun!" Hinata yelled, grabbing onto Katoki, she flipped him off the table and was dismayed to see hot tea all over his shirt.

"Hinata, the tea will burn him! Get his shirt off!" Anko yelled, Hinata nodded and tried to tug the sodden shirt off, but in her frustration ripped half of her nail off. Sticking the injured finger in her mouth, she watched as Tenten expertly sliced the front of his shirt, exposing his chest, and the angry red welts that decorated a teapot-like shape on his stomach. The second thing that Hinata noticed was the size of that scar that she had a glimpse of in Suna. Reaching a bloody finger out to brush the edge of the scar, Katoki convulsed and hit her hand and Tenten's hand in the same swing. The kunai used to slice Katoki's shirt fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Get the rest of the shirt off. The spilt tea must have cooled by now, but that burn will stay for a while." Anko said, as she helped Hinata tug the unconcious man onto the couch. Sasuke sat in the corner, his face was stuck between horror and awe.

Hinata lit her hands up with green as she started to heal the burn mark on Katoki's stomach. Tenten watched with avid facination as the blisters disapeared, and then slowly, the red welts. When the entire thing was said and done, Hinata leaned back and sighed.

"Tenten-san...can you help me carry him back to the room?" Tenten nodded and grabbed his left shoulder, while Hinata grabbed the right one. Hoisting Katoki up, the two women managed to get him onto his pallet.

"Will he be ok? Shouldn't we get him to the hospital?" Tenten said, eyeing the large scar that was splayed across his chest.

"Yea, he has these often. At least he isnt screaming in pain. Those ones are horrible to sit through. We just have to wait for him to wake up. It shouldn't be too long. It seems to be a smaller episode, so maybe an hour..."

Tenten slowly nodded and left quickly. Hinata stood to leave, but glanced at Katoki's scars again. She let her eyes run over a fist sized scar above his right lung. Something ticked the back of her mind, but she couldnt bring it up for the life of her.

* * *

Removing the long black cloak decorated with the symbol for the village hidden in rock, Rikuri rubbed the swell of her belly. Smiling, her dry lips cracked slightly from being outside all day. Licking her lips, she said,

"One day, my son. You will be stronger than all of them, than your Otou-sama. When that day comes, you can rule them all...Oh yes. I have great expectations in you. But for now, grow. Grow in peace, and when you are ready, we will rule the world, and stamp down Leader-sama." Smiling again, she gave her belly one final pat before tossing a bag that dripped a suspicious red liquid into a large trunk at the back of her private quarters.

Laying on the soft bed that the leader had so kindly provided her with, she rolled over onto her side and let a single, unbidden tear roll down her cheek

* * *

"Kazekage-sama, the first part of the Konoha reinforcements have arrived. Their leader wishes a word with you." Gaara nodded and set his pen down. The door to his small office opened and a tall ANBU with a dull brown belt on which various lengthed swords hung. The way the man walked towards the desk told Gaara that he knew how to use everyone of them.

"Hajime, ANBU-san." The ANBU nodded and said, in a low and deep voice,

"Kazekage-sama, I was sent to say that I have brought 112 ANBU squad members. Tsunade-sama has sent Jounin and higher leveled Chuunin on their way here already, and they should be here in 3 days, maximum. But for now, we ANBU are at your disposal."

Gaara was silent for a moment, silently calculating his next move. The Iwa army was huge. Thousands of shinobi, ronin, and even a few nuke-nin were seen attacking Suna shinobi. Reports that Amegakure nin, and Otougakure nin had all been seen fighting on the front lines, which confirmed Gaara's suspicions of just how many countries the Tsuchikage threatened into joining him.

"Alright, thank you. Your men can ether make camp with the smoke nin at the north of the city, or they can find their own hotels and such. I will send more rations to the smoke camp, in anycase." The ANBU bowed low and walked out of the room. Gaara sighed loudly and stared at the crooked picture on the wall to this right. It was a scribbly stick figure drawing of him and his daughter, that Kaisa had drawn him. She was almost 3 years old, and already showing her skill in hand cordination. Gaara didn't doubt for one second that Kankuro was going to take this oppurtunity to try and turn her to puppets.

"Gaara? Daijoubu?" a soft voice said from the door. Gaara looked up and squinted at the light from the hall.

"Ahh, Matsuri...Is it dark already? I must have dozed off." the brown haired woman regarded her husband and entered the room, closing the door behind her.

"Gaara...if there is anything wrong, please, tell me..." She said, walking over to Gaara. Gaara sighed and turned his chair to face the circular windows. Watching the sand loll back and forth, he finally said,

"War is stupid. How many people are going to die just because this stupid man wants to try something hopeless? How many are going to die, just so no more die?" Matsuri regarded the red head with her black eyes and laid a hand on his shoulder. Gaara covered her hand with his own, but didn't say anything.

"Let's go home. You need some sleep." Gaara tighted his grip on Matsuri's hand_  
_

* * *

_A boy with black hair sat tied up and gagged on the floor. Joy and pride ran blurred his vision as he watched the boy struggle. _

_"See ya later!" He said, and with a poof of smoke, he jumped out a window, the boy glaring at him with all his might._

"Naa...the hell? How did I get here?" Katoki said, as he sat up and rubbed his forehead. The annoying buzzing was back and trying to block out his regular hearing.

"Ah, back in the world of the living? Well, I have something to tell you...Katoki-san." The buzzing stopped suddenly, and Katoki swiveled his head towards the window, where the voice had come from.

"Ah, Kakashi-san..." Katoki said, and looked down. Noticing he was lacking a shirt, he opened his mouth to question the old man, but Kakashi beat him to it.

"You had an attack, and landed on the teapot. Hinata-chan healed you. But intresting set of scars you have. How did you get them?" Katoki shrugged and said,

"I dont remember. Except this one," Katoki pointed to the scar that ran from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth. "I had just become Chuunin, and I screwed up a jutsu." Kakashi nearly laughed, but kept his mirth down to a quiet chuckle.

"...Now, where is Hinata-chan? That Uchiha better not have said anything else to hurt her..." Katoki said, standing up and scanning the small room for a top. Kakashi raised his hand and said,

"Ma, maah. Hinata-chan is in good hands. Sasuke was reprimanded by both Tenten-san and Anko-chan. But before you go...I just need to say something." Katoki bent over and picked up a black shirt that was hanging out of the bottom drawer of his dresser. Tugging it over his head, he said,

"Well, get on with it then. I have to see the Raikage about something." Kakashi hesitated and looked out the window.

"Katoki...your past, I know it. A few years of it anyway. I'm just saying now, that when you remember yourself, see the Raikage as soon as possible." Katoki's mouth was agape as the old man strutted out of the small room he and Hinata shared.

"Hey! Hey wait! How do you know! Tell me, who am I? Oi! OI!" Katoki yelled, but Kakashi dissolved in a puff of smoke and leaves. Katoki punched the wall in frustration and was dismayed to see the fist sized hole he'd left.

"Kuso...Hinata's gonna hit me with another tea kettle."

The Raikage leaned back and sighed, cracking a few vertabrae in the process. He was getting old, he knew it. He knew that soon he would hand his title over to Keii and perhaps slip into a peaceful retirement and die of old age. Something that every older shinobi dreamed of.

Sighing again, he looked out the window behind him, and watched his grandson go through forms that had been passed down to the men in his family. He watched the platinum blonde raised an open palm slowly up past his face, and around the edge of his jaw.

The door creaked slightly, and the old man sighed. Turning in his chair, he was slightly surprised at who he saw.

"Katoki? What brings you here?" the old man said. Katoki was wearing a small, fake grin on his scarred face. His hand was scratching the back of his head, but he lowered it after a second.

"Yondaime-sama...I talked to Kakashi-san today." The raikage nodded, he knew this had been coming for a while.

"Go on, son." Katoki shifted his feet, his blue eyes displayed a great amount of worry.

"I got another few memories, but over the past year, I've been getting more and more of them, especially after Hyuuga-san showed up...but I think that was mainly from her hitting me with tea kettles." both the raikage and Katoki laughed, but Katoki started again.

"I had another dream. But this one felt calmer, much calmer. I didn't have any pain at all. You told me to tell you whenever that thing showed up in my dreams. I swear I can almost hear it talk now..." the old man smiled, and almost sighed in relief.

"Yondaime-sama, who is Kakashi-san? He said he knew me in my previous life. He told me that when I remembered who I was, to come and see you...does that mean that you know who I am?" Yondaime sat back and scratched his white beard.

"Hmm...Boy, It's true. I had my suspiscions about your identity untill about a year after I took you in. It was during your chuunin exam when I became sure. Kakashi-san...he's an aquaintance of sorts, of mine. He knows. He is also the reason I am not aloud to tell you. I'm sorry." Katoki drooped quite visably.

"Kakashi-san...you... You two have been keeping this, me, away from myself for 13 years? Yondaime-sama, imagine waking up in a hostpital, your entire world blank. No thoughts, no memories, no feelings...what i've gotten over the years doesnt add up to anything substantial... only that I'm fairly sure I was already a shinobi when I lost my memory...Hell, I dont even know HOW I lost it... Do you know?" Katoki, now seated on the floor against the wall was holding his head. He was starting to get a headache, the kind that brought on memories. He was hoping that it was small enough to leave him concious, he wanted answers.

"Katoki...I...I only know of two people who would know the entire story behind how you lost everything. One, who Kakashi and I had thought dead, showed up recently, and the other, well..." the old man sighed. Katoki's arm had dropped to the floor.

Rising from his desk, he bent down beside the blonde and titled his head so that he could look at his face.

"Another attack, eh?" wiggling his nose he quietly walked to the door and popped his head through.

"Suiichi-san...can you take the poor boy to the hospital? He's passed out from exhaustion, and I have a rather large pile of paper work to do." The taller ANBU with a wolf mask nodded and saluted before walking inside the office to swing Katoki like he was a bag of potatoes over his shoulder.

"Mmmm...this is going to be a long day."

* * *

Three weeks later found Hinata sitting in her bathroom, trying to hold what was left of her stomach _in_ her stomach, and not in the toilet.

Katoki appeared at the small doorway of the bathroom in the small and crowed hotel they were currently staying at, and winced as the girl retched again. Grabbing her long, indigo hair, Katoki gently held it out of the way as the girl started to dry heave. Rubbing her back he said,

"Is there anything I can do?" He said, his voice faltered as he held in a laugh. Hinata, still gripping the rim of the toilet bowl gave him the flatest stare she could, her byakugan, combined with the bags that were dark against her even paler face, Hinata was a scary sight to behold. Gulping, Katoki gave a weak grin. Hinata looked up at the counter and said shakily,

"G-ginger t-tea p-please...c-cooled down..." The tired girl sat back and sighed. She could hear the clink of the cups that the hotel had provided, and she heard Katoki grumbled as he fumbled with the electric kettle.

Hinata let her head rest on the glass door of the shower she was leaning against, and jumped when something touched her shoulder.

"Here...I put some ice in it to cool it down." Katoki said. Hinata smiled and curled up against the shower door.

"So...I guess your stomach cant handle caviar?" the blonde said. Hinata sighed, and took a sip of her tea. It was lukewarm, but she could feel it slowly settle and relax her abdomen.

_Hinata glanced worridly at the plate in front of her. There were a few pieces of bread, steaming innocently up at her. What worried her, however, was what had been poured on top by her ever generous boyfriend._

_"...What is that...?" She asked quietly. Katoki grinned and scooped another spoonful out onto the bread._

_"It's cavier! Don't tell me you have not tried this stuff, It's great!" Hinata swallowed thickly. The very sight of it was making her stomach turn._

_"I dont want to get sick...we are on a mission, remember, we will be fighting in a war in less than three days!" Katoki nodded, but his grin didn't return._

_"This may be our last chance, Hinata-chan." Hinata quieted down._

_"Kakashi-sensei and the other's didn't even stop to say goodbye last week...Kouden and Shiro disapeared too...I hope Jiraiya-sama didn't take them anywhere near the war..."_

_"Hinata-chan...Kouden is a fully fledge chuunin, same with that Shiro kid. They will be fine. Now here, try this, it's very good, I promise!" Katoki gave her a full blown grin, and Hinata couldn't help but comply._

"Go to hell. It's already past midnight...and I dont know about you, but throwing up fish eggs all night seems to have tired me out." Hinata emphasized the statement by yawning. Clutching her stomach, she bent over and groan again.

"Dont worry about me...I think I'm going to sleep here tonight... Sleeping in bathrooms use to help me when I was sick as a child...Just go to bed, Katoki-kun." Katoki grinned and stood up. Coming back with the comforter from the bed, he wrapped it around her shoulders, and gave her forehead a small peck before leaving to sleep on the stiff bed. Hinata's face was slightly red, as she didn't have it in her to blush. Leaning back on the shower, she fell asleep before she even had the chance to think.

* * *

End Chapter 27

Cavier is gross looking, imagine the texture! yuck XD


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

* * *

Katoki rubbed the back of his head and sighed. A woman with bright orange hair and brown eyes started to fidget impatiently. The man beside her remained stoic, save a little smirk that decorated his plain face.

"Katoki-kun, just go already!" a second woman said. Her pale eyes flashed dangerously at him, and Katoki gave a nervous laugh.

"Alright, does anyone have a 3?" Hinata shook her head, the woman with orange hair, Suri, grunted before tossing a small card at Katoki. Ganjou calmly said,

"Go fish." Katoki hummed as he grouped his cards together.

"Hinata-chan, your turn." Hinata nodded and looked at the cards she had in her hand.

"Ano...does anyone have a 9?" No one gave her a card, so she picked one up. Much to her delight, she picked up a nine.

"Oh! I get to go again, ee-to...Does anyone-" The flap to the small tent the four shared was pushed open. A nondescript woman poked her head in a said with a dull tone,

"Oi, pack it up. The enemy scouted out farther than we thought. We are skipping tonight's rest and heading straight to Sunagakure." Katoki grunted and Suri sighed. Gathering the deck of cards, Suri tucked them into her pack that was attached to the back of her black pants, and started to roll her sleeping bag up. Ganjou followed suit, but not without a grunt of annoyance.

"Hinata-san, are you going to be alright? You just got over being sick..." Hinata blushed slightly at Ganjou's concerned voice, but waved him off and said,

"It was nothing. Just a little bit of food poisoning. Im sure throwing it all up got rid of it." Ganjou flicked his eyes towards Katoki, who flinched ever so slightly.

"Well then, Hinata-chan, be careful anyway, it might have been the stomach flu, that can take a few days to go away." Katoki said, as he pulled Hinata's sleeping bag out of her hands and rolled it up for her. Hinata blushed and felt annoyed at the same time.

"I'm not a baby, stop treating me like one." Suri sucked her breath in and tried to hold her face still. Ganjou had to turn his head, as his mouth wouldn't stop twitching.

"Saa! Hinata-chan, I'm just trying to be helpful!" The hurt in Katoki's voice reached Hinata's ears, and she started to tear up.

"Aa-a...Gomen! I didn't mean it! I just dont like being babied...I've been alone since I was 17 and I raised a child by myself, I dont need anyone to take care of me. Besides, I don't want you to be doing all the work." Hinata said, and Katoki sighed. Her eyes were shining, and she knew that he couldn't resist her puppy eyes.

"Guilllllt tripppp." A whisper came, floating from the corner. Both Katoki and Hinata whipped their heads around to see Suri staring at Ganjou. Ganjou turned slightly and suddenly shuddered. The amount of needle sharp killing intent aimed at him was not very pleasant.

"What was that, Ganjou-san? I didn't quite hear you." Hinata said, her words laced with ice and threats of death. Ganjou just grinned widely, albeit fakely, and waved his hand, dissmissing Hinata's words.

"No, no! Nothing, I didn't say anything in particular, just mumbling incoherantly." Katoki nodded his head once and said,

"Yea. That's what I thought. Now lets get packed up. We are in for a long run."

* * *

Kiziwari ran his hand through his bright blue hair and sighed. Adjusting the oversized sword strapped to his back, he shivered in the slight mist of the morning. Looking around in the silence of the morning, he saw other shinobi, even a few Ronin, quietly dotting the edge of the river. They were all waiting for the signal to jump across and ambush the group of...

"Oi, Gougi-sempai, who were we ambushing again?" The blue haired teen whispered. The woman who was sitting a few feet behind him shifted her legs so that he caught a peek of light blue under her skirt. He wasn't sure whether she was wearing shorts, or if he had just seen her panties, but he kept his mouth shut. Gougi was twice his age, and a whole lot stronger than him. Teasing her sai out of their sheaths, the turquoise-haired girl bit her lip.

"They told us that it was Kumo shinobi...at least Jounin rank. Probably ANBU though. Are you ready? They are a good while off, but I can feel their chakra. There must be a bunch of them. Quick, go spread the word, but boy, do it quietly.

"Hai, Gougi-sempai." Kiziwari said, and gave a small salute, tapping the shiny Ame hiteate that sat across his forehead. Moving quickly, he managed to inform most of the ambush group before he himself could clearly feel the Kumo group's chakra. Turning to the river, he saw Gougi standing on a rallen tree stump, her arm raised, waiting to give the signal. Kiziwari ran through handseals in his mind as he eased his sword out as quietly as possible_  
_

* * *

_Swish...swish...swish..._ That was all Hinata could hear as she concentrated on jumping from branch to branch through the thick forests of the Fire Country. Looking all around her, she could only spot 8 other ANBU, not including her three companions, that were in plain sight. Hinata was amazed that the small group of 30 or so ABNU that Kumo currently had in it's ranks could hide itself so well. She was amazed at the amount of sound that the group wasn't making.

"NOW!" Some one from the front shouted. Both Hinata and Katoki whipped their heads to the front of the group, when an explosion rocked the ground and trees, some where in the background someone let loose a bone chilling scream. Hinata lost grip on the branches and slipped off, but Katoki caught her elbow and tugged her up. Suri wasn't so lucky. When she looked down, she saw the kunoichi shakily dusting off her shoulders, and rubbing her side. Ganjou was helping her walk off the slight limp she had. Katoki clicked his tongue but whipped his head around as a branch snapped behind him.

_Swoosh-clunk!_ The blonde ducked and pushed Hinata off to another branch just as a giant sword sliced through the mist, narrowly missing Katoki's head. The sword embedded itself in the tree, and Hinata heard a quiet curse from infront of them. Raising her hands to form a set of seals she hadn't used in a while, Hinata let loose the proper amount of Chakra and said,

"Byakugan!" Instantly all of the colours in her vision inverted, and she could see everywhere at once. But she instead focused her sight to where she heard the curse and saw a boy, in his late teens, she guessed, running towards the tree Katoki was in, his hands flashing through a complicated series of seals.

"Doton: Chikyuu no tatekou!" The boy yelled. Hinata let her byakugan go as she raised a hand and yelled at the blond who was still staring at the sword.

"Katoki-kun! Watch out!" Hinata shouted. Katoki looked at her, but it was a moment too late. A tall and sharp column of grey slate rose out of the ground and struck him in the stomach. The shaft continued to rise through the trees, carrying the man untill the white eyed woman could no longer see him. Hinata gazed down at the boy angrily and praising kami-sama that he didn't see her, she pounced out of the tree, directly on top of him.

"MmmmaaahH!" He yelled, but Hinata paid no mind. She activated her byakugan again, and struck the tenketsus on the boy's arms and legs as fast and hard as she could. When she rendered him immobile, she tumbled back and took a deep breath. The boy was moaning in pain and wriggling weakly on the ground. Taking a step over, she pulled him up by his collar, causing his hiteate to unwind and fall out of his blue hair. Putting the boy down, she picked up his hiteate and reddened in anger.

"So the Iwagakure are ambushing us? How like them." Spitting beside the boy's head, she poked his chest, effectivly getting his attention.

"Name?" She said, rather harshly. The boy whimpered, so Hinata dug her nails into one of the tenketsu burns on his arm. The boy's whimper turned into a cry before he said in a desperate voice,

"Ki-kiziwa-wari!" Hinata let go of the boy's arm and sat back.

"Well, Kiziwari-san, once I find my partner that you so graceously sent into the skies, I will come back and finish what I started. Now, dont even think about escaping. You cant move. Never mess with a Hyuuga, boy." Hinata said coldly, as she disapeared into the trees_  
_

* * *

_A great white flash blinded his eyes for a split second before the massive pain in his shoulder struck him. Holding back every movement, he looked forward, into the eyes of the pain-giver. They were as red as the blood he could feel trickling down his arm._

"Uuuggghhhnnnnn..." Katoki groaned and rolled over clutching his stomach. A sharp jolt told him that whatever jutsu that kid hit him with, probably shattered his hand. Looking down, he saw that he was laying on a small platform of solid grey stone. Looking over the edge, he saw that he was quite far up. Far enough that he could see the smoke from the various small explosions. Occasionally he saw a nin jumped out from the trees, but only to dissapear again among the foliage.

"Katoki! Are you ok?" a soft voice called. Looking over, the blonde saw his indigo haired partner sprinting up the side of the column.

"I'm fine, just a little winded!" he called. A few seconds passed and Hinata jumped up onto the platform and knelt beside Katoki. Her hands lit up in the special green fire and she pressed them against Katoki's stomach.

"I'm fine, really! You dont need to heal me." He tired to push her hands away, but Hinata shook her head and flicked his broken hand. Katoki sucked in his breath and Hinata reddened, but didn't say anything.

"There. You had minor bleeding...and I fixed most of the bones in your hand. They will be sore for a few days, try to avoid using taijutsu with it though." Katoki sighed and nodded.

"C'mon, let's go. I caught the one who made this column, I plan to interrogate him, but I need your help. I'm still, technically, a rookie ANBU." Katoki gave off a tired sounding laugh and rolled off the rock, soaring through the air untill he dissapeared into the trees with a loud _Swoosh._ Hinata smiled and quickly followed him.

"Great. So the Ame and Iwa are planning to ambush us all before we get to the border. What cowards!" Katoki said, banging his fist on the ground. The boy with blue hair, Kiziwari, was blissfully unconcious. His right forearm was twisted in the wrong direction, and twitching slightly.

Katoki didn't seem to mind physical torture as much as Hinata did. She nearly lost her dinner as she heard the tendons groan and snap. The poor boy screamed as hard as he could. By the time he stopped screaming, Hinata noticed that the explosions stopped, and the forest was silent. She could feel chakra prescense moving around, but she couldnt hear anything. A quick check with her eyes showed her that of the 30 ANBU that left Kumo, 13 were left, including herself, Katoki, Ganjou, and Suri. The three other medic ANBU had their hands full with treating the injured ANBU. Hinata felt that she was obligated to help, as some of the injuries were serious, but Katoki felt that this might have been a good learning expeiriance.

"Hinata, your face is a little green. Daijoubu?" Hinata wrinkled her nose and turned her head away from the boy.

"Lets go join the group. There aren't many left...I want to heal who I can. This is a disaster..." Katoki nodded and stood up beside the white eyed woman.

"Oi, you two, glad to see you are ok." a plain man with brown hair called. Hinata gave a small wave and blushed slightly.

"What? You think some measly Ame-nin could off us? Pfft. Get a life, Ganjou. Maybe a steady girlfriend too." Ganjou laughed as Suki sourly nursed both her broken arms. Hinata clicked her tongue and went up to the orange haired kunoichi.

"Here, I suspect that the other medic nin didn't have enough chakra to heal broken bones?" Suri nodded. Hinata's hands lit up in fire again and within a few seconds, she mended the bones to a point where they could withstand light combat.

"Arigato...Hinata-san, don't waste your chakra. We still need to get to the Sand base camp." Hinata nodded at Suri and wiped beads of sweat from her brow.

Katoki approached the small group, which surprised Hinata, as she hadn't been aware that he had left.

"Alright, everyone calm now? We have 13 nin left that are in fighting condition, and two that need real medical care. Any Ame or Iwa nin left alive will rot out here. I received information from an Ame nin I captured, and he said that they have spies along our travel routes, and plan to ambush us all in an attempt to reduce our numbers. As you can see, we are down more than half. Does anyone have a summon who can deliver messages fast?" a small murmur in the crowd.

"I can summon a wolf...He'd be a bit small, as I dont have much chakra left..." One man said. Katoki opened his mouth to respond, but a very short woman in the back piped up. Her voice suggested that she was very young, although her bird mask covered her face.

"I can summon a sparrow. Faster than a wolf, and a small one takes alot less chakra." Katoki nodded.

"Please do. Summon one old enough to speak, we dont have enough time to write this down. Tell it to fly straight to the Raikage." The short girl nodded and Hinata watched as she flashed through some seals before shouting in her high pitched voice,

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" A puff of smoke, and twittering around her head was a fist sized, yellow sparrow. A few words were spoken to it, and the sparrow took of towards the east at a dizzying speed.

* * *

"Yosh! We shall fight along side Gaara-kun and defeat the Iwa shonobi!"

"Lee-sensei!" A smaller voice called. Lee looked at his near identical student and gave him a large thumbs up. Fei's big blue eyes sparkled as returned the thumbs up.

"Lee, I must congradulate you on your student's sucess...It's almost like watching my teaching life all over again!" Both heads swivelled towards the voice and instantly the room became brighter.

"Gai-sensei!" Both Lee and Fei yelled and group hugged the older man.

"Fei-kun! I congradulate you on your advancement to Jounin! You made it faster than Neji did when I was teaching him!" Gai yelled, and jumped up to roundhouse kick the air. Fei was practically dancing, sturring up dust and sand around his feet.

"Gai-sensei, you show so much of the flames of youth!" He said, and Gai started to cry before embracing both Fei and Lee into another hug.

"Will you three shut up and go away! Some of us are trying to sleep!" Someone called from a tent not to far away. Lee blushed and said to his student and teacher,

"Alright! We can continue this tomrrow, but that young man is right! We need to some sleep, for tomorrow we fight!" Fei nodded and happily skipped to his tent, follow closely by Lee and Gai.

* * *

Tsunade-sama! I have a letter for you!" Shizune said, bursting in through the large doors of the blonde's office. Tsunade sat up and said,

"Ma? Wha? Ok! I was busy doing reports, Shizune." Shizune sighed and reached over to peel the report that she had been 'doing' off of her face. The blonde Hokage blushed and coughed.

"Well, whatever. What is this letter? From who?" Shizune pulled a rather thick scroll out of her bag and handed it to Tsunade.

"It doesnt say who it's from, but it did come with a small mini letter." Shizune handed a small peice of paper over to Tsunade, and she opened it.

"It says: 'I thought that you should know the truth, considering how much both of them adore you, Tsunade-sama. I thought that if I dont come back from the war, some one should tell him how his father died.'". Shizune's brow furrowed, and Tsunade glanced at the scroll.

Picking it up, Tsunade opened it and noticed that it was written like a journal.

_Ohh! I'm so excited! I was dancing around earlier, but Hanabi-chan came into my room and told me to be quiet. I apologized, of course, but I made sure to give her a smile. I'm going to tell him today when he picks me up for training. I decided to make my journal into record for all the events that happen untill my baby is born. I'm only worried about one thing, I dont know how Otou-san is going to take it. I know he will yell at me, I might even be banned from the complex for a while, but nothing he says or does will make me give this baby up. It's time for me to meet Neji-ni-san, so I will write in you later._

Tsunade was in awe.

"Tsunade-sama, why is your face like that?"

"Hinata..." She whispered. Shizune barely caught it. The hokage unrolled the scroll even more and saw that the next entry was tear stained.

_This cant be happening...It has to be a horrible dream...Naruto-kun...WHY!!?? It's been about three weeks since I found out I was pregnant. He...I didn't even get to tell him...I want to follow him! Why? I thought that maybe if I sit here in this strange room and do nothing, I would die peacefully. The constant pain in my heart should be enough. I'm writing this now, because I feel that soon, maybe really soon, I can join Naruto-kun, and I want to leave proof that I existed. maybe Neji-ni-san will tell someone where I am, so that they can collect my body. Maybe he will collect it himself. I dont care. My heart...it just, everytime I breath, even think, it hurts..._

"Oh Kami-sama...She's alive..." Tsunade said, looking up at Shizune, she said,

"Where is Neji! He needs to report here as soon as possible!" Shizune blinked.

"Tsunade-sama, Neji-san is fighting in the war...He left a week ago..." Tsunade sat back down and sighed. Waving her hand she said to her assistant,

"Leave me then. I will call for you when I need you." Shizune nodded slowly and backed out of the office.

* * *

End Chapter 28 


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

* * *

Tsunade sat back and sipped the hot sake that Shizune had so thoughtfully brought a few minutes earlier. Sighing as the warm drink spread into her stomach, she picked up a scroll. Unrolling it to a set date, she started to read again.

_It's so odd, to think that there is a separate life inside of me...He kicked for the first time today, while I was standing in front of the mirror. I was just standing there, rubbing my belly, which by the way, looks like I swallowed a melon, and he just kicked my hand. It was such an odd feeling, I think I screamed a little bit. I cant decide on a name...I dont even know if I should name him. Yes, him, I just have this feeling. I can almost imagine us, all three of us, playing in a feild of flowers. Naruto standing tall and proud, me sitting at his feet, my arms full of the bouquet that our son picked. I can see our child, with his blonde hair, and my white eyes... Although, I would be just as happy if he turned out to have my hair. Even happier with his blue eyes, but sadly, I cannot recall a child with a Hyuuga parent having anything other than the pupiless eyes we are so feared for. Oh! He kicked again! It's such a funny feeling. I wish Naruto was here to feel it too..._

Tsunade choked on her drink.

"No way..." She said, and checked the date on the entry. It was about 5 months after the first entry, which Tsunade had noted to be ripped. Hinata had wanted her to read only this section. Checking down further on the scroll, she found a date that was written oddly.

"'Day 3, October 22nd' Hmm?" The blonde woman said. Reading on, she set her glass of sake on her desk.

_I'm a little bit ashamed...the lady who found me where Neji-ni-san had left me, old Suzuki-san, refused to leave my cabin. She just showed up one day, with a bundle of food and said, quote, _

_"Imma not leavin' till that baby comes a cryin'." It was embarrassing...but my dear child chose that moment to try and come out. Labour is painful. Very painful. I dont even know how many hours passed, but without Suzuki-san, who later told me she was a retired medic-nin, now village midwife, I dont think that having a baby would have worked. I'm 17 years old, I have no idea how to raise a child. But I looked into my son's white eyes (as I had predicted) and melted. He was born three days ago, on October 18th...8 days after Naruto's birthday. Suzuki just left this morning with instructions. She also told me that when I felt up to it, to come and visit her in the village. Oh, he's crying..._

Tsunade's mind was tickled. She knew a Suzuki, they were friends during their genin years, as Tsunade had become a genin a year before her. She thought the old woman had died years ago, as she had disapeared on a battle feild a few years after Dan died. Shaking her head to clear all thoughts of Dan, and Nawaki who always popped up, Tsunade started to read the next passage.

_I've decided on a name for him. I tried on a whole bunch of names...I want this name to mean something. Nothing fit, and I was getting nowhere. Then I thought of naming him "gift" But most of the names that mean gift were girly sounding...But then...this child was my last gift from Naruto, a condolance gift. I shall name my son Uzumaki Kouden._

Tsunade dropped her sake bottle. It smashed on the floor, spilling it's contents everywhere. Shizune rushed in at the noise, but stopped when she saw her teacher just sitting there, her hand still raised, and her mouth wide open.

"Tsu-tsunade-sama? Is everything ok?" Tsunade turned her head to Shizune, and the mostly black haired woman noted Tsunade's pale face.

"Kouden...that little boy...where is he?" Shizune furrowed her brow.

"He's still training with Jiraiya-sama...He wont be coming back for another year and a bit. Why?"

"It's him...Shizune, what was the first thing you thought when you first met the boy?" Shizune moved her head.

"What? Uhnnn, probably what most of the village still thinks...That he looked an awfully lot like...Him." Tsunade smiled and found she couldn't stop.

"This scroll, Shizune, is actually a journal. Written by Kouden's mother." Shizune blinked, and blinked again.

"What!?!" She said loudly. Rushing to her teacher's side, she looked at where Tsunade was pointing.

"_"Imma not leavin' till that baby comes a cryin'." It was embarrassing...but my dear child chose that moment to try and come out' _Oh my...does it say who she is? Does it say who his father is? Who sent this to you?" Shizune urged. Tsunade stuck her hand up and said, still smiling,

"This was sent to me by his mother. She sent it saying that if she doesn't come back from the war, we should tell Kouden what really happened to his father." the mostly black haired woman stomped her foot and said,

"Just tell me! You always do this!" Tsunade let out a laugh and said,

"Hinata! Hyuuga Hinata! His father, he was Naruto! It says here she got pregnant about a week or so before they died. I suppose that means that Hinata really didn't kill Naruto, like Hiashi said. Where is that old bastard?" Shizune shrunk back a little bit.

"Tsunade-sama...Hiashi-san has gone to fight in the war. Most of the retired jounin left to fight as well. I over heard Hiashi talking to Hanabi-sama, and he said that he wanted to fix his sins and fight for the country he loves." Tsunade brought her fist down on her desk so hard it cracked. Papers flew everywhere, and Shizune sighed, knowing she would have to clean it up.

"I hope I find him before he dies. That bastard will answer for this." Shizune, tomorrow I plan on joining the Medic team installed in Suna. I want you to stay here. You, Kotetsu, and Izumo will be in charge of the village. I will check back at the end of everyweek by bird. I expect a full report of the status of the village. If we need the Genin to help with the ends and the clean up, I will send for them." Shizune sighed loudly, but saluted her teacher.

"Now, to read the rest of this by tomorrow is going to take silence. I dont want any disturbances unless I call for you. Now go and get ready." Shizune nodded and left Tsunade to read the thick scroll.

* * *

"How did it go?" A light, feminine voice whispered. A tall man with sandy hair turned his head towards the woman and said, just as quietly,

"Fine, no problems, except that one guard. I don't know how much longer he's going to look, but my legs are getting sore."

"What about the little lightning boy there?" The woman said, blowing a peice of her red hair out of her eyes, while pointing at the bundle on the man's back.

"Tatari, for the last time, he's fine. Unconcious, but alive." Tatari huffed quietly and said,

"Well, I was just making sure, I dont want this one dieing as well, I dont know what Leader-sama would do if you lost another one, Satoshi-kun." Satoshi turned his head and caught sight of the guard again.

"Kuso...He's still looking! Won't this guy give up?" Tatari shifted her feet and said,

"Why can't we just kill him?" Satoshi shot her a look and the red head rolled her eyes. "Fine...fine."

* * *

Shivering, Sasami cuddled deeper into the warm blankets that covered the large bed she was trying to sleep in. All night she had been sneezing, and Souma, her sensei sent her to bed early fearing the young queen was coming down with a cold. Sasami's hand snuck under her pillow and her fingers brushed the corner of a letter. Pulling it out, she opened it with a warm smile. Squinting in the dim candle light, she brought the letter closer to her face.

_Dear Sasami-chan, _

_Hey! I know it's been a while, and that I should have written you more letters, but I just found out that you were in the Lightning Country! A queen! Sasami-chan, that's so awesome! I asked Ero-sennin if we could go and visit you but he said that we weren't staying long. There's a war going in Suna, the Tsuchikage is crazy, he's trying to take over the entire land! I think Ero-sennin intends for me to fight, but since I'm only a chuunin...oh! I acheived chuunin! I took the test with one of the twins and Sakana-nechan. The other twin passed already, and they were short. I took it in Kirigakure. That place is kinda creepy. But anyway, how are you? How is being queen? I bet it's exciting! I found my Kaa-san, she had been hiding out here all along with Katoki-san. I met him a few months ago in the fire country, and again in the waterfall. I met Shiro there too! Surprise surprise! Shiro-teme got special permission from Tsunade to tag along with us, that's how I found out about you being a queen, I'm sorry I couldn't have been there to say goodbye... I have to get going now, It's almost time to leave, Ero-sennin wants to talk with someone, but Im not too sure whom yet. I will write another letter as soon as possible, but dont bother writing back, I dont stay in one place long enough._

_Missing you, _

_Hyuuga Kouden_

Rolling over, she hugged the letter again, and stuffed it back under her pillow. She got that letter a week ago, it was being carried in the mouth of a frog with an attitude problem, and the frog itself was being escorted in by Souma.

"Sasami-hime? Are you still awake? I can hear you. Go to sleep, you need your rest." A voice called from the hall. Sasami rolled her eyes, and yawned. Frowning at her body's disobediance, she sighed and snuggled deeper into the mounds of blankets.

Peeking in the pink haired queen's room, Souma waited until she saw the steady rise of Sasami's chest before closing the door. Turning towards the scarcely lit hall, Souma peered down the hall, her amber eyes allowing her to see everything as if it were daytime. Looking up at the inky black ceiling, Sasami's dark skinned teacher released the chakra she had concentrated on her eyes, and the amber slowly receded back into their normal green.

"Clear. Down." She said, being as quiet as possible. A small rustle of fabric was the only thing Souma heard as a figure dressed in black dropped down from the ceiling.

"Take this. The army has moved out of Raikuni, ample time is in the next few days. Give her my regards." The shinobi dressed in black nodded once and took the tiny scroll from Souma's outstretched hands. When the shinobi silently scaled the wall, Souma tapped her temple and whispered,

"Kohakugan!" Her irises bled amber and she watched as the figure disapeared silently into a hole that was very cleverly hidden on the ceiling. Smirking, Souma continued down the hall and out of the wing.

* * *

"I guess that you cant eat haddock sushi ether..." A sympathetic Katoki said as Hinata continued to retch over the edge of a bush. Waving her hand she said,

"Maybe...but I think it's my nerves. I used to get like this when I was younger. I remember before my first Chuunin Exam, I threw up for three days. Just, don't worry. I will be fine. Let's continue." Katoki looked at the small group of ANBU. the 11 other members were taking the momentary rest as a good thing. Ever since the ambush Katoki had been rushing the small group towards Sunagakure, only taking breaks to eat. The two injured ANBU that the others had been carrying had been reduced to one. Toshi, a boy who Katoki knew was no older than 19, died after fighting for a good number of hours to stay awake. He had been poisoned, and the medic ninjutsu capable shinobi had not been able to get all of the poison out.

"Katoki, how long are we away from Sunagakure?" a man asked from the small crowd. Katoki focused on him and said,

"Another few hours if we can travel at the same pace again." The man, and several other ANBU nodded. "Is everyone ready then? I predict we can be there by sunup." Katoki continued, and smirked. Hinata stood up fully next to him and adjusted her mask. Katoki slipped his now cracked mask over his face and said quietly to Hinata,

"Hinata-chan, I think, when I get to Suna, I'm gonna need a new mask..." Hinata gave off a few giggles, and jumped into a tree, following the other ANBU

* * *

"Kazekage-sama...the Kumo ANBU just arrived...the leader wants to talk to you." Gaara sighed as he walked towards his office. That short and snippy little man that called himself the leader of the ANBU was not someone Gaara wanted to meet with again. He was rude and arrogant. Waving his messenger off, the young woman spun on her heel, a blush grazing her face.

Pushing open the door to his office, he was elated to see Kaisa and Matsuri quietly playing in the corner. Opening his mouth, Gaara was about to tell Matsuri to take the toddler out of the room, but was interrupted by the door opening.

"Gaara, the ANBU group is here." Gaara looked back to see his brother's heavily painted face sticking in.

Kankuro, take Kaisa-chan back to your quarters." Matsuri snorted and Gaara's lips flickered into a smile. "But dont let her near your bloody puppet room." Kankuro looked over at his neice and nodded.

"Kai-channnn, Let's go see what Kankuro-ji made for you!" The three year old red head looked over at the tall man and squealed. She squealed even louder when Kankuro picked her up. When they had left, Matsuri said, quietly as they could hear several people in the hall outside the office,

"Gaara...why did you choose me to stay?" Gaara turned to his wife and smiled gently.

"Matsuri...you are a fully capable shinobi, I taught you myself. You are also calmer and more level headed than Kankuro. I dont want to face the entire ANBU embassy by myself. Kami-sama, I told them to send their leader when they got here, not the entire group. I hope you are ready for a tight squeeze, unless they leave some outside." Matsuri smiled at Gaara's joke and settled into her place against the wall to Gaara's right.

"Come in, then." The Kazekage's chilling voice floated across the room. The door opened slowly, and a tall ANBU with a plain mask silently entered. Bits of blonde hair stuck out everywhere as Gaara's eyes widened slightly in recognition. Following the ANBU an organized stream of people flowed in, save the last, in which a woman was being carried by a taller ANBU.

"I count twelve of you." Gaara said, his voice containing a hint of question. The tall blonde nodded and said,

"Gaara-sama, we were ambushed by Ame nin. Although some of them looked to be ronin. They had nearly twice as many in their numbers as we did. What you see here, are the survivors. All of them. Keiko-san needs medical attention as soon as possible though..." Gaara flicked his hand and one of the guards at the door disapeared.

"This is it? Kami-sama...Have you sent a notice to the Raikage, Katoki-san, right?" Katoki nodded, and a few of the ANBU at the back of the group shifted their feet.

"I have a question, Katoki-san. Before you left, had you any word on Jiraiya-san? He was supposed to send me a report as soon as he got there...It's been over a month, and I havent heard of anything." Katoki hesitated and said,

"Saa...I did. I saw Jiraiya-sama, but he disapeared with his apprentices three weeks ago. We assumed it was to help fight the Iwa." He felt the tinyest flare in Hinata's chakra as she flinched slightly. Gaara noticed it as well as his cool turquoise stare was directed at her.

"You...I recognize your mask, but your name escapes me. Gomen, ANBU-san." Gaara bowed his head a bit and Hinata waved her hand.

"A-ano...It's not a p-problem. ANBU are s-sup-posed to be annoymous anyway." Gaara nodded in agreement and tented his fingers.

"Since there are so few of you, I can offer you shelter in the city with the Konoha and Kiri ANBU, or you can take up shelter in the camp with the Kumo Jounin who arrived last week just outside the city walls. It's up to you."

"Kiri ANBU? Has the Mizukage decided to help this time?" Gaara remained stoic but didnt say anything.

"It seems that the Mizukage is missing a child from his village. He told me that witnesses said that the kidnappers wore Hiteate from Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa. He sent a few, about twice your numbers to help fight the Iwa, and attain information on this child. He informed me that he wasn't sending anymore though." Katoki nodded and said,

"We will stay with the other ANBU." A few nods were colectively seen amung the ANBU. Gaara lowered his head once and after a few seconds said,

"Completely unrelated, but what happened to Hanzo-san?" Katoki, without missing a beat answered.

"He's dead. Killed in the ambush. I'm the group leader now." Gaara nodded and motioned Matsuri to show them out the door. Gaara's eyes followed the woman who's mask he recognized. Something was different about her, but no matter. He had paper work to do. At that thought, Gaara sighed and picked up his pen.

* * *

Closing his eyes he focused chakra to both of his hands. Even with his eyes closed, he saw the chakra pathways of his opponents.

"Two in front, one left, three behind..." He whispered to himself. Quickly forming a plan of movement, he suddenly charged at the nin to his left. The nin was surprised and didnt have time to react. Opening his eyes, he slapped the nin's torso as he spun around him and without losing a beat, moved to the next unlucky nin.

All he could hear was the sound of his feet scratching the sandy dirt and the last nin falling in a heap on the ground. Taking a deep breath, his calm was broken by his partner.

"Omedeto, Neji! That was brilliant! Do you know what would make it even better? Snakes!" Neji gritted his teeth as his partner started to laugh like there was no tomorrow. She appeared to be around 25 or so, but Neji knew that she was well into her 40's. In fact, from analyzing the genjutsu she used, he saw that she must have buggered Tsunade into teaching her. Neji looked over and dimly realized that she had changed her clothes from his childhood memories. Gone was the ankle long trench coat, and instead, she wore a form-fitting black jumpsuit. A large snake design was embroidered on the back. The snake wound it's way from the back of her right knee to her left shoulder where was was eating a red symbol. Neji recognized that seal as the cursed seal that Orochimaru had given her as a child. He had heard that it disapeared when Sasuke killed the snake sannin.

"Anko-san...While I thank you for commenting on my justu, I do think that you should be fighting instead of loafing around. This is war, not the Chuunin Exams." Anko glared at him and Neji nearly sweatdropped.

"You know what? I heard that the chuunin arrived yesturday. Why dont you go see Chiyo? I'm sure she would like to her mother before the fighting actually commences." Anko scowled and sauntered off towards the midway camp in between the border of Kazekuni and Sunagakure, dodging a few shruiken now and then.

Neji sighed and observed the damage he had just dealt. All six of the nin he felled were mortally wounded or dead. Sighing again, he couldnt help but think of Chiyo. She looked almost identical to her mother, but lacked the ferocity that Orochimaru's former apprentice had. She had a scar that ran over her left brow and cheek, but to her relief, as Neji was sure, didn't damage her brown eyes. Neji knew from a breif guarding shift he had for Tsunade's office, that Chiyo loved to talk. She told him that she wanted to be a teacher like her father, Iruka.

_No more than 15...she shouldnt be here...No chuunin should be fighting._ Neji thought. He had hoped that Anko's scowl had been because he dismissed her. He knew, again from Chiyo's ramblings, that since Anko and Iruka's separation, Anko and Chiyo didn't get along very well. But Chiyo told him often that she wished she could see her mother more.

A kunai whizzed past Neji's face and brought his out of his daze. Looking up and to his right, he ducked again as a handful of shruiken passed over his head and embedded themselves into the ground.

Not saying a word, Neji jumped towards the airborne attacker and hit his heart straight on with a jyuuken strike. The attacker was dead before he hit the ground. As he landed, Neji spared a last glance at the man and sighed.

"Just a boy...from Kusa to boot. They shouldn't have gotten involved in this..." Kicking the boy's body over, Neji sighed and jumped away.

"Doton: Iwa Hebi no Jutsu!" A voice yelled. Neji looked down and was promptly struck rather hard in the side. Crashing down onto the ground, Neji rolled over and groaned. Looking in the direction he had been hit from, he saw a man with a black mask covering his entire face, save a slit cut out for his eyes, which glowed an eerie red in the light of dawn. Beside the man was a massive stone snake, It's middle was twice as thick as Neji's waist.

Standing up Neji wordlessly stood in his Jyuuken stance. The man pointed at Neji with two fingers and the stone snake lunge forward again. Neji dodged, but the snaked managed to catch his chest with it's tail.

Shouting, Neji hit the ground and rolled. Holding the gash that the snake opened from his collar bone to the bottom of his ribs, Neji slowly stood. Rushing towards the man with red eyes, Neji charged his hands up for a quick round of Jyuuken, but was knocked away by a smaller and much faster snake.

"There is no beating me, for I am Rouko of the Rock! Doton: Iwayado Kuzushi!" Rocks ranging from the size of the man's fist to the size of his head started rising into the air. Still falling, Neji's pale eyes widened as he saw the rocks start to hurtle themselves toward him. The rocks were gaining speed when Neji's foot touched the ground. Using his fall to his advantage, Neji shifted his body into a spin. Releasing chakra from every tenketsu on his body, he shouted,

"Kaiten!" The rocks bounced away with contact, but a few exploded, leaving the air dusty and hazy. "A few rocks isn't enough to beat me!" Neji shouted. The Iwa-nin took a step back and raised both his hands. More rocks, some twice as large as Neji's head raised up.

"Hmph! That same jutsu wont work twice on me!" Neji shouted, as he shifted his feet into a steadier stance and gathered chakra to perform another Kaiten. The man just laughed and Neji frowned, but didn't have a chance to think on it. The man made throwing actions with both his arms and the rocks that had been hovering around him suddenly shot towards Neji. Smirking, Neji lowered his stance and sparted to spin.

"Kaiten!" He shouted again. Chakra seeped out and the rocks once again bounced off or exploded.

"Doton: Chikyuu no tatekou!" Neji heard the man shout. A sandy brown column of rock jutted out from the ground beneath Neji's feet and struck his cheek. Neji's head whipped back and his Kaiten was halted. Neji body was instantly battered with whatever rocks still being thrown at him. Neji nearly screamed when he felt a sharp stone slice into his cheek and up towards his forehead. Hitting the ground and bouncing instead of rolling, Neji used a bounce to stand himself up, but nearly fell over again.

Rolling on the ground got bits of dirt and small rocks into his chest and face wound, making them sting like someone had drenched him in alcohol. Opening his eyes, the Hyuuga quickly found that he couldnt open his left eye, leaving it practically useless at the moment. Grinding his teeth, Neji started forming seals as fast as his body would let him. Dodging a strike from the larger rock snake, he landed a few feet away from the shinobi with red eyes and shouted,

"Kanashibari no Jutsu!" The nin's eyes widened as his body stiffened. Neji nearly collapsed, but pulled out the short sword that all ANBU were issued with in Konoha. Covering the last few feet that separated him and the Iwa nin, Neji took one look into his eyes and thrust his sword as hard as he could directly into the man's heart.

"That's for those damned snakes." The injured Hyuuga said as the man fell over, all effects of Neji's paralyzing jutsu wearing off as he died.

Collapsing to his knees, the last thing Neji though was about how Tenten was going to angry at him for getting injured. His mouth twitched into a smile and he closed his eye.

* * *

End Chapter 29

No more chapters for a bit. Sorry for the wait on this one, but I'm so behind in school, and I have major writers block. If I do submit a chapter, dont expect much plot.

Mog (Thank you for all of your reveiws, you guys. They are much appreciated!)


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

* * *

A woman with brown hair gave a mighty twitch and dropped the large knife she was holding. The knife clattered on the ground loudly, but the woman didn't notice. All she could concentrate on was the large chill that wormed it's way up her spine.

"Oka-chan?" a smaller voice said from behind her. The woman turned to look at the girl sitting at the low table behind her. The girl had brown hair done up in small buns similar to the woman's usual style, but unlike the woman, had pearly white eyes that lacked pupils.

"Daijoubu?" She said, tilting her head. The pen in her hand fell to the table, forgotten by it's writer. The woman stared at her daughter, and shivered again. Rubbing her arms she said,

"Aiko-chan...No, nevermind. It's nothing. But I need to go do something, I just remembered, can you finish breakfast? I will be back in half an hour." Aiko stared at her mother for a few seconds before standing up.

"Sure...Are you sure you're ok, Oka-chan?" Laughing, Aiko's mother waved her hand.

"I'm fine, fine! Now, remember that the eggs go in last, and the potatoes first." Aiko nodded and took up chopping the potatoes.

Making her way out the door, the two braided pigtails swaying behind her, she quickly crossed town. Coming upon the Hyuuga compound, she walked in and was quickly stopped by branch member guards.

"Halt, state your name and buisness." The woman sighed in irritation but said,

"Hyuuga Tenten. I need to speak with Hanabi-chan, it's _urgent_." The two branch members looked at each other and bowed before quickly moving out of her way. Tenten gritted her teeth, but made her way into the head family quarters.

"Hanabi-chan! Are you here?" Tenten shouted. A few servants looked at her oddly, but quickly minded their own buisness.

"Sumimasen, Hyuuga-sama?" A small voice said from behind Tenten. Turning around, she saw a petit girl who looked to be about Aiko's age. Her forehead was left uncovered to show that she had no curse seal, but her right arm had a blue band around it, marking her a branch member. Tenten internally sighed, as she did every time she saw the bands. The council of elders had been...reluctant to let the bird cage seal be banned, and insisted on something to differenciate. Tenten, not being of Hyuuga blood was not required to wear one, but Aiko and Neji were, if they were on grounds.

"Yes? Is Hanabi-chan around? I really need to speak to her..." The petit girl shook her head, her short, dark hair reminded Tenten of what Hinata's used to look like when they first became genin.

"She isnt, ma'am...She left with Hiashi-sama to fight in the war..." Tenten clicked her tongue. Shifting her feet, she put her fists on her waiste and looked around.

"Who's in charge, then...what was your name?" The girl hesitated before saying,

"Aah...My name? Kahei... and Hinomaru-sama is, Hyuuga-sama. Hanabi-sama placed him in charge of affairs until she returns." Tenten nodded. Placing a hand on top of the girls short mop of dark hair, she said,

"Thank you, Kahei-chan. Seeing as I am not particularily fond of Hinomaru-san, I think my concerns can reach her by mail." Kahei gave a small and pretty smile, bowed her head, and scrambled away.

Marching back down the way she had come from, she quickly made her way to a small building on the edge of one of the forests. Climbing up the outside staircase that spiraled it's way up to the top, she walked through the arch way.

"Ahh, Shizune-san?" Tenten said, spotting the Hokage's assistant. Shizune looked up from the small bundle of scrolls she was carrying and smiled.

"Tenten-san! How nice to see you! It's been a while." Tenten nodded and spotted the small desk that carried stationary.

"Who are you writing to, if that's not to forward...?" Shizune asked as Tenten started to scrawl out a note.

"The Konoha ANBU. I had the worst feeling today, and I want to make sure that Neji is alright." Shizune nodded and bid Tenten goodbye as she left the shelter. The sqwakings from the cages of the various raptors got louder as Tenten chose a bird that, she was fairly sure, was a native from the wind country.

After strapping the pack onto the back of the bird, she made a one handed seal to make sure the bird went in the right direction. The bird screeched once and flew out from the large windows.

Tenten watched it leave, and holding her hand to her chest, she sighed.

"Neji, please be alright...

* * *

"Gaara... The Hokage-sama has arrived." The redheaded jinchuuriki nodded, but didn't turn his head from the window. He heard the door creak, and felt the sand quiver in anticipation.

"Gaara, It's been a while." Gaara grinned slightly and turned his head. A small flick of black and Gaara's sand was holding his pen. The point was less than an inch away from his eye. Without even flinching, Gaara picked his pen out of the sand and set it down on his desk.

"Tsunade-san, I am aware that you admire the abilities of my sand, but is it nescessary to throw things at me every single time we meet?" Looking at the older woman's face, which had a very wide grin, Gaara just sighed.

"So what is so dire that you need to travel three days to Suna just to talk to me?" Gaara said, his voice cool and level. Tsunade's grin slipped and was replaced by a grimace.

"I have discovered how Naruto died. In great detail. I thought that maybe you should know, as he was your best friend." Gaara's face dropped and paled. Sitting back heavily, a small dust cloud was disturbed on his tall-back chair.

"H-how? How did he...That girl, did she really do it?" Tsunade pulled out a small envelope from her blouse and handed it to the Kazekage. Gaara fingered the envelope before using a quick dash of his sand to neatly tear the top. Taking out the short peice of yellowed paper, he looked at Tsunade.

"This looks cut. How can we tell it's authenticity?" Tsunade shifted her pack and said,

"I cut it out. It was fairly large scroll and...Well, I thought that you might have wanted to know this." Gaara looked at her young looking face for another moment before reading the excerpt.

_Dear Tsunade. I made the choice to tell you this. According to my son, whom I have recently been reunited with, Jiraiya-sama, Shikamaru-san, Kakashi-sensei, Ino, Sai-san, Neji-ni-san, and Gaara-sama and his repected wife know who he is. It pains me greatly to write this, but as Naruto-kun thought you family you deserve to know how he died. I did not kill him, as I am sure you all guessed. No, but I will tell you, in as greatest detail as I can possibly remember._

_I woke up sometime around 7 am. A little late for me, but I had been training late with Naruto-kun the previous night. About a week before that horrible day, on our year anniversary, our friends threw us a party, and although I'm sure I only had a few drinks, I woke up the next morning in Naruto-kun's apartment, not wearing a stitch of clothing, a horrible headache, and an extremely sore body. Feeling like I had been sparring with Lee-san for hours, I didn't notice my lack of clothing until Naruto-kun rolled into me. It's a little fuzzy there, as I think I had fainted. I mustered up the courage to get my clothes on and get home. I remember that I ignored everyone save Neji-ni-san, who was smirking at me. Glaring at him, I went to bed and spent the next few days in hiding._

_But back to the day, Naruto-kun thought at first that I was avoiding him, but Neji-ni-san told him that I was just shy. Naruto-kun seemed happy when he invited me to a sparring session, and I happily accepted. The next morning, as I said, I woke up at around 7 and went through my daily routine of a bath, and then counting out 100 strokes of my hair brush. I heard a tap at my window, which made me start. Looking out, I saw nothing, but something yellow covered my vision and planted a kiss on my lips. I screamed, quite loudly, but Naruto-kun covered my mouth with his hands._

_Apologizing, he waved it off, but told me that he just wanted to say good morning. He said he was coming back at 10 to see if he could get a mission for us. Naruto-kun had just achieved the Jounin rank, and bragged whenever he could. After he left, I jumped around a bit, excited, but Hanabi slammed my door open and told me to be quiet. I remember my face heating up, I must have blushed. I bowed to her, but as soon as my door shut again, I flopped on my bed._

_I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew, Otou-sama had a hold of my left arm and was dragging me off of my bed. I shouted, I remember that, but I cannot recal what I shouted, nor if he had even said anything. He dragged me by my arm into the courtyard and pulled me up. Letting go of my arm, I was already crying when he slapped me. I think I stopped crying then, mainly because the pain was numbing._

_He proceded to yell at me about being with a demon. To this day, I still dont know what he meant by demon. I assumed he meant Naruto-kun, and I remember that my heart skipped a few beats. I was thinking, about whether or not he found out about the party and it's after effects. My face was surely confused looking, which seemed to make Otou-sama angrier. He started yelling things about his reputation, and everything that I had heard throughout my life, but in greater volume._

_This is when he started to attack me. Training with my friends and Neji-ni-san helped, I was able to block most his attacks, which were strange, they were all aimed at my abdomen. I took a hit on my shoulder, and had it rendered useless. When he brought his wakizashi out, I remembered that I had stopped breathing. He wasn't punishing me, he was trying to kill me. I watched as he slowly charged the weapon with his lethal chakra. When it had got to a point to where the Wakizashi actually shimmered with unseen chakra, he moved forward._

_That's when I saw him and time froze. Naruto-kun, was there, in the archway of the Hyuuga estate. Two paper bags had been dropped to the ground. I saw, him start to move, but words failed to reach my lips. I saw Otou-sama's jyuuken charged Wakizashi slowly aim itself towards my heart. I closed my eyes, and waited for the pain._

_It never came. Instead, a pressure on my shoulders and a small whisper made my eyes shoot open again._

_"Hinata-chan..." Those were his last words. I remember looking down, and seeing the entire front of his body covered in blood. I remember seeing the tip of the short sword sticking out of his chest. I remember the sickening sound of Otou-sama pulling the sword out of Naruto-kun's body, and he even had the nerve to look smug._

_Naruto-kun fell heavily forward onto me, and slipped out of my arms onto the ground. I remember that I looked at my hands, covered in his blood and fell to my knees. I tried to shake him a few times, to tell him to stop playing, but the look of his dull blue eyes froze me in place. It was only when it started to snow that I died inside. Still screaming, I ran. I dont even know how I got out of Konoha, or what happened to Naruto-kun's body, but I just remember collapsing somewhere. I was running from ANBU, the back of my mind knew that Otou-sama would send out personal ones to retrieve me or kill me, so when an ANBU flipped me over, I just smiled and closed my eyes. Savouring the feel of snowflakes landing on my cheek._

_When, for the second time that day, death would not come, I opened my eyes and stared at milky white irises. Neji-ni-san took me to a small village somewhere in the fire country and left. He told me that he was going to make sure we were both recognized for our sacrifices to the village._

_I found out a few weeks later, that Otou-sama must have seen Kouden's week old embryo with his honed byakugan._

Gaara set the paper back down on the desk.

"When was this written?" Tsunade shrugged and said,

"The date says that it was written just over a month ago. It's the last entry in her journal." Gaara didnt move, but his killing intent flooded the room. Vaguely he registed a retching noise outside his office, but Tsunade didn't look affected.

"Why isn't Hiashi dead?" Tsunade frowned and put her fist on her hip.

"I haven't found him. That's why. It's part of the reason I came here." Gaara shifted his turqouise eyes towards the scribbly drawing of him, Matsuri, and Kaisa that the little girl herself drew. Staring at the picture always calmed him down somewhat.

"And what are the other reasons?" His cool voice floated around the room and Tsunade said, with a tad of spite,

"I intend to find Neji, Hiashi, and Hinata herself. She's in the Kumo ANBU, you know. My reports say that she must have been one of the 30 that left Kumogakure. I came here to help with the medic attention. I'm not a sannin for nothing." Gaara gazed at the blonde woman said,

"Tsunade, only 12 ANBU survived the trip here. They were ambushed. She may be dead for real this time." Tsunade frowned and smiled.

"This isn't the first time she has supposedly died. I will find her. I will hug her, and then I will kill her." Gaara let out a small amused chuckle.

"I daresay, her son would not like that. At all." Tsunade shrugged, but a small smile wormed it's way onto her face.

* * *

Miles away, in the middle of a desert, a woman with long indigo hair and white eyes sneezed loudly. Her partner laughed at her, and she scowled.

* * *

"Look at this...The war has only been going on for just over a month, already the names are piling up." A short man with sandy hair said. His partner, a taller man wearing standard a standard suna flak vest, and wrappings around his head to protect it from the sun, took the sheet of paper.

"Ahh, 683 from Suna listed dead, 116 listed MIA." The short man snorted.

"How many from Konoha? We must pay respect to all those who stand with us." The taller man nodded and scanned down the paper.

"473 dead, 79 MIA. Here, Kumogakure as well. Thanks to Konoha, we have a new treaty with them. They couldnt send as many out, it seems, but I heard that they lost many on the way...oh...Listen; Kumogakure no Sato, 951 dead, 102 MIA. Wow, they lost almost as many as Suna and Konoha together." The shorter man whistled softly and gave a silent prayer for both the dead, and for the war to end soon.

"Do you have the sheets with the names of the shinobi in their respective ranks?" The short man nodded and handed a small bundle over.

"They go from Genin to ANBU. The Genin sheet only has three names, thankfully. Poor children weren't even fighting. I knew two of them, they were both good kids." The tall nin nodded sadly and skimmed back to the ANBU.

"Ahh, kami-sama... Jinjou-chan and Yuki-chan are both dead...Chichi-san is MIA...Oh! Oh no! Kagari-chan! She was your genin teamate, correct?" The short man turned his head, and the tall man quieted down. He continued to scan the names of the dead and MIA when one named jumped out at him.

"Nara Shikamaru? MIA? Isn't he the brother in-law of the Kazekage?" The shorter man gazed at the page and smiled.

"Shikamaru-sama, he will probably show up in a few days. He knows that he will be listed as dead after 7 days if he doesnt check in. He's got two days left. Lazy bastard." The taller man was slightly taken aback by the tone used when talking about the cheif strategic officer. A soft scuff in the sandy ground brought both shinobi's attention to the flap of their tent. A girl, from Konoha as her hiteate depicted, was shyly peeking in.

"Su-sumimasen...May I look at the list...?" The shorter nin motioned for her to come inside. When fully in the lantern light, the taller sand jounin saw that she wore a flak vest, but from the way she moved, she was probably only chuunin. Her dark purple hair was twisted into a bun that flared with loose ends, and her mini-skirt was divided, showing her black shorts. She had a scar that ran from her forehead over her eye to her cheek.

"This is a dreary tent, miss. Who's name might you be looking for?" The tall nin said, as he couldnt help but eye her figure. Drawing her hands to her chest, her tanned cheeks flushed a bit and she said,

"Haha-ue...She hasn't checked in yet, and it's been 6 days. I would like to know if she is still on the MIA list, or if her body has been found." The tall man clicked his tongue, but regretted it when the girl jumped. Sighing, he put his hand on her shoulder and said in a soothing tone,

"Don't be so tense, you're safe here. While this isn't particularily the happiest place to spend your time, it's nice and quiet. Would you like a drink, miss?" The girl nodded and gave a small smile and a thanks when he gave her a small cup of cold sake.

"What's your Oka-san's name, miss?" The girl sighed and said,

"Mitarashi Anko, Konoha jounin..." the girl sipped her sake, and listened to the soft sliding noise the paper made as the shorter nin riffled through the jounin section.

"Mitaminao, Mitanou, Mitarashi! Here we are...Anko-san is still on the MIA list, but if she doesn't check in by midnight tomorrow, she will be listed as KIA. Gomen, miss."

Waving a delicate hand in front of her face, she said,

"Please, call me Chiyo. A-ano...it seems you have alot of sorting to do still..." Chiyo motioned the large pile of papers, reports, and letters that had still to be filed. The shorter man sighed and hung his head. Chiyo stiffled a small giggle.

"If you'd like, I could help...Filing helps my nerves. No one from my class is Chuunin still...I have no one to talk to." The taller man smiled and handed Chiyo a bag full of paper.

"Here, these are letters. Some are addressed to indivduals, some to a group. Sort them into groups and individuals, alphabetically." Chiyo nodded and smiled as she reached into the large bag a pulled her first of many handfuls of letters.

* * *

"Katoki-kun, you have a letter..." Hinata said, shutting the door to the small room that she, Ganjou, Katoki, and Suri shared. The blonde looked up from his game of shougi and smiled. Taking the letter from Hinata's outstreched hand, Ganjou moved a peice on the board, sat back and said,

"Checkmate." Katoki sighed. Suri gave a small snore, and turned in her bunk.

"Who's the letter from, Kato?" Ganjou said, running his hand through his brown hair. Katoki snorted at the nickname and flipped the letter over.

"It's from Yondaime-sama." Hinata sat down beside him, and Ganjou sat up straighter. Katoki opened the letter smoothly with his fingers, and pulled out the peice of parchment inside.

"Katoki, I am distressed to hear this, and have warned the other squads. Make sure to send me another report or note if any of the squads show up in the same condition as your group. I hope that you receive this before the fighting commences, as I have a small mission for the entire ANBU squad. It seems that Kei managed to slip away. Thanks to your stealth training, we cannot trail him properly. I blame this entirely on you. Inform the ANBU that if he is seen amoung the chuunin and jounin in camp, that he is to be detained, and held inside Sunagakure's walls until the fighting dies down. You are then to escort my grandson back up here. Give my regrets and goodwishes to the rest of squad." Katoki crushed the paper with his fist and said, quite angrily,

"Kei...that stupid kid. When I get a hold of him..." Hinata put a hand on his shoulder and said softly,

"Katoki-kun...c-calm down..." Katoki looked down at the indigo haired woman and felt his anger melt. Hinata's heart, on the other hand, was beating quite fast.

"Is something the matter, Hinata-chan?" Hinata's eyes widened a bit but she then blushed and looked away.

"A-ano...K-katoki-kun...do your eyes alw-ways d-do that?" Ganjou tuned in, but pretended to read the letter from his Raikage. Katoki seemed taken aback.

"...Do what?" Hinata blushed again and shook her head. Katoki grabbed her shoulders and said quietly, but firmly.

"Hinata-chan. You dont stutter unless it's important. What did my eyes do, and when?" Hinata looked directly into his cerulean eyes and said, in little more than a whisper,

"R-red...somet-times, when you a-are ang-gry, they t-turn red. W-when you use alot of ch-chakra t-too..." Katoki let go of her shoulders and looked at Ganjou.

"Do they, Ganjou?" Ganjou shrugged and said,

"I guess, I thought I saw it a few times, but as ANBU, I dont see your face when you use alot of chakra. But Kato, you look like you are gonna be sick...should Hina-chan heal you?" Hinata glanced at Ganjou, her cheeks red from his nickname, as she leaned forward. Holding one of her hands up in a seal, she placed her now glowing green hand on Katoki's forhead and Katoki felt a wave of cool releif.

"Nothing's wrong...are you s-sure you're ok?" Katoki leaned away from Hinata's hand and waved his hand in front of his face.

"I'm fine, honestly! I just didn't realize that my eyes change...maybe I have a bloodline limit?" Hinata smiled and Katoki leaned over and pecked her on the lips. Ganjou clicked his tongue and sighed.

* * *

Sighing loudly and drooping his shoulders, Shikamaru wished he was sleeping in his bed, instead of being chewed out by his brother-in-law. A few moments passed, and even though the Cheif Strategist was letting the words run in one ear, only to fall out the other, he noticed that the angry murmur had stopped. Focusing his eyes, they settled on the red haired former vessel.

"Are you even listening?" Gaara said. Shikamaru shifted his feet and said, quite clearly,

"No." Gaara dropped his head onto his desk. The dull thud was muffled by numerous reports spread out across his desk, and the clatter of wooden blocks falling as Kaisa pushed the pyramid she had built over.

"Shikamaru, you arrived at the checkpoint exactly 7 seconds before midnight, on your 7th day. Do you know how much stress you put Temari through? At the end of the 5th day, she holed her self up in your house hugging _my_ family photo!" Gaara exclaimed, pointing at the slightly lighter rectangle shape on the wall behind him. Shikamaru would have snickered if it hadn't have been too troublesome. So just standing there, his shoulders drooped with a casualty that, not for the first time, irritated Gaara.

"I have a mission for you. As punishment for doing that to Temari-ne-san." Shikamaru heaved a mighty sigh, and Gaara's 'ai' symbol twitched.

"I have received a classified document, involving Hyuuga Hinata. I know that she is alive, and in the Kumo ANBU. Now, their numbers have been reduced to, according to the last check in, 8. The information I received, verified that you are aware of her, and have been in occasional contact. Tsunade knows that she is going under a different alias, but she will not tell me. Perhaps you know? Go fetch her for me. Check the ANBU quarters first, a few of them returned earlier today." Shikamaru tensed, but did not stand any straighter.

"Me? Do I not get to see my wife yet?" Gaara frowned and shook his head.

"No. But if you see her on the way, just bring her with you, I need to see her, but she wont come to me if she catches wind of you." Shikamaru sighed louder and spun on his heel.

"Dont make a scene, you lazy dolt." The spiky haired special jounin from both Konoha and Suna didnt reply as he walked out the office doors.

* * *

Sighing again, Shikamaru almost found it too troublesome to lift his hand to knock on the door of the apartment.

_Knock...knock..._ Looking to his left, he heard some scrambling from the other side of the door and a few clicks of locks unlocking before it finally opened. An man with brown hair, brown eyes, and of average height was standing in the door way. He looked Shikamaru right in the eyes and said, in an average sounding voice,

"What?" Shikamaru leaned his head over and looked into the room over the man's shoulder.

"I'm looking for Kasumi-chan, and Katoki-san." The man shook his head and thumbed to the left.

"Next door over." _Slam!_ Shikamaru didnt flinch as the door almost hit his nose, but instead sighed with such tenacity that you would assume he was asked to carry every single surviving nin from all three countries participating on this side of the war, back to Konoha, one at a time. Moving to the next door, he knocked twice, and listened.

The rustling, albeit quieter than the previous room, went on for a few more moments before the door opened. A short woman with long indigo hair, a bit mussed, and pearly white eyes stood before him. Her eyes widened and she said,

"Shikamaru-san? Can I help you?" Her tone was surprised, but not as surprised as Shikamaru hoped. His satisfaction quickly deflated, he peeked into Hinata's room and spotted Katoki, still asleep, on the bed in the corner.

"Gaara has requested your presence, he found out your secret. But, we have to take the back routes." Hinata furrowed her brow.

"Why? About the back routes I mean, I suspected that Tsunade-sama would tell Gaara-sama. I'de like to avoid her for now." Shikamaru was curious as to why she was not caught off guard, but saved his questioning for later.

"Temari doesnt know I'm back yet...to my knowledge. If she finds me, she will kill me. Simple as that." Hinata nodded, and followed her fellow ex-classmate towards the office of the Kazekage.

* * *

"Gaara, I brought her without incident. Can I go home now?" Hinata was a bit taken back by the informality of Shikamaru's speech, but quickly pushed it away when she remembered that he was married to Gaara's elder sister.

"Yes, go. Hinata-san, please come in and sit." Shikamaru brushed past Hinata quietly and closed the door behind him, sealing Hinata's only way of escape. Tremors racked her body as she shakily took a the seat in front of Gaara's desk. Gaara tented his fingers and stared at the Hyuuga for a long time.

"You've caused us quite a lot of greif, Hinata-san. But after reading your last passage, I can't say that I blame you. Tell me, did you know that Tsunade is here, fighting and healing? Also that Hiashi-san is here as well, according to Tsunade, he told Hanabi-san that he must fight to erase his sins. I suppose we know now what he meant." Hinata had, by this time, blushed when Gaara mentioned reading her passage, paled when he mentioned Tsunade, and started to turn green when he said her father's name.

"Ahh, I'll move off that subject. I brought you here, partly as punishment for Shikamaru, but mostly because I wanted to thank you for living. Without you, we would not have any of Naruto left in this world. He was my best friend, he brought me out of my personal hell, and acted like it was nothing. I am forever grateful for that...I'm sure you know all about how amazing he was." Hinata was looking down, the tears in her eyes threatened to fall.

"I-is that all? K-kazek-kage-sama? I have b-been fight-ting all d-day, and I n-need my rest..." Gaara looked into her eyes when she raised her head, and was taken aback to see so much hurt. He saw a touch of fear, and it reminded him of the first chuunin exam he ever took. He passed her genin team, and glared at each and every one of them, but her eyes had been wider and filled with more fear back then.

"I want to know if you have any information on your son or Jiraiya-san." Hinata furrowed her brow,

"No...gomen, but why? The last time I saw ether of them, was almost a month and a half ago." Gaara nodded.

"Jiraiya-san was seen past the border of Kazekuni, along with your son and another boy...but I'm afraid that they seem to have disapeared. None of my contacts can find him...I was hoping you might have had more information." Hinata shook her head. Her face was pale, and she felt slightly wobbly.

"Ahhh, gomenasai, Hinata-san. Go and rest. I will want to talk to you later, when I can think of more questions." Hinata gulped and shakily stood. Stumbling towards the doorway, she heard a scuffle right behind her. A hand enclosed itself around her arm, and turning her head, she looked directly into a pair of concerned turquoise eyes.

"Here, you seem a little shaken. I will personally escort you back to your rooms." Hinata opened her mouth to speak, but only squeaked instead. Gaara laughed quietly, and Hinata blushed.

* * *

End Chapter 30 


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

* * *

Carefully peering around the corner of a sandy building, a boy of 18 ran a hand through his shaggy soft blonde hair. The sun shone on his head, giving his hair a slight rose shine to it, something the girls had liked back in his village.

Deciding the way was clear, the boy regripped his fingers on the bag he was holding and darted out into the street. Running past scores of villagers and a few shinobi, the boy had almost made it to his destination when he saw a long bamboo pole stick out in front of him. His chocolate eyes widened as he tripped and fell, skidding a few feet along the ground. The bag's contents spilled out, and the boy rolled over, his face contorted in a look of anger.

His anger, along with the blood in his face drained away when he saw who was standing behind him.

"K-katoki-sensei!" The boy said, his accent was thick, as the boy was born and raised deep in Kumogakure. The tall man leaned over his student and said, his voice chilling the hot sun,

"Ditama Keii. You are coming with me." Keii gulped and slowly got up. Katoki grabbed the coller of his stolen flak vest, and dragged him back towards the ANBU hold.

"Oh, Katoki-kun...Keii-san! What a pleasent surprise!" Keii looked into the room and was mildly surprised to see Hinata making tea in the small kitchen of the small apartment.

"Keii, you are in alot of trouble. Your Jii-san blamed ALL of this on ME." Keii grimaced.

"What? Why?" Katoki frowned and pulled his student's face closer to his own.

"Because you got too good at stealth." Keii flinched, but almost grinned at the underlying pride in his sensei's voice. Instead of grinning, Keii looked to the side and said quietly,

"I just wanted to help fight...What are you going to do now?" Katoki straightened up and took the cup of tea Hinata offered with a smile and a thanks.

"I'm supposed to keep you detained until the fighting dies down, and then bring you back to Kumo." Keii frowned but kept his mouth shut. Hinata held out a small cup to him and he nodded his thanks as he took it.

"What are you going to do with me now, Katoki-sensei?" Katoki sat down on the bed in the corner and put his chin on his hands. Keii looked over at Hinata only to find her gazing at his teacher with a small blush. Rolling his eyes, he glanced over at Katoki when the tall man dropped his hand.

"I'm going to take you to Kazekage-sama." Keii dropped his teacup, spilling hot tea all over his lap.

"Itaa! What? Why! Why am I not aloud to fight with my country!?" He yelled. Hinata fussed over the tea and offered to heal him. Keii accepted and held back a blush as the older woman placed her hands on his thigh.

"Because you are Yondaime-sama's heir! His ONLY heir. He's an old man, wanting to retire soon. You're probably going to land yourself the position of Godaime by the time you are 20. There isn't enough time to pick another clan and train them! You know that, so dont be stupid!" Katoki said, his voice teetering on being angry.

"What about Mi-Sasami-chan? She's been trained just as long as I have!" Hinata finished and busied herself in the small kitchen as Katoki and Keii resumed their shouting match.

"She's already bundled up with being a queen, and secondly, she's a shinobi of the leaf, not of the cloud, you idiot! Stop being such a child!" Keii's face turned red as he crossed his arms and looked away. Katoki stood up and grabbed the teen by the back of his collar. Keii let out a wordless shout, but Katoki whacked him on theback of the head, effectively shutting him up.

"Hinata-chan, are you wanting to come?" Hinata nodded and slipped a large coat over her shoulders. She grabbed Katoki's gray-blue jacket and handed it to him as she exited the small apartment.

_Knock knock..._ Katoki rapped the door to the Kazekage's office. A click echoed through the halls as the door opened, but instead of Gaara, a man with black hair gathered in a ponytail on top of his head answered.

"Ah, Katoki-san, Hinata-san...and...you. Gaara's not here, he's in his quarters, I think. Is there something I can help you with?" Katoki sighed and said,

"Shikamaru-san, this is urgent. Can't you just take us there?" Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head and closed his eyes.

"Well, you see, Temari is there, and well...I'm not exactly welcome..." Hinata stiffled a giggle, which caused the two blondes to look at her. She blushed and looked away.

"Then just take us to the door." Shikamaru looked apprehensive, but finally nodded.

"Here...This is as close as im getting." Katoki nodded and thanked the lazy jounin as he started back towards the stairs. Katoki knocked on the door and heard faint scrambling sounds coming from the other side. Hinata unconsciously moved to the back of the group.

The door opened to an averaged height woman with shoulder length brown hair, and black eyes. She was wearing a loose yukata and black knee length shorts. Katoki smiled and gave a short bow.

"Matsuri-san, is your husband home?" Matsuri blinked and looked over the group. When her eyes met Hinata's white ones, her own black ones flickered with recognition.

"Ahh...Yes, he is...Can I ask who would like to speak to him?" Matsuri said, staring up at Katoki with an odd look in her eyes.

"Katoki...tell him that I found the kid." Matsuri nodded and disapeared for a few seconds. When she came back, she opened the door and invited them inside.

Matsuri led them through the long hall and took a sharp left. In the large room was a low glass table surrounded by brown couches. Gaara was bouncing his red headed daughter on his lap. Kaisa, who when not squealing with laughter, was throwing blocks at her father, only to have them deflected away by his sand.

Temari was sipping tea, her over-sized fan leaning against the only solid wall in the room. Gaara let Kaisa slide off his lap when her mother entered the room. A few seconds later, the three Kumo-nin entered the room.

Temari took a sip of her rassberry tea, enjoying the sweet aroma it gave off. When she saw who entered the room, she abruptly sprayed her tea all over her brother's face. Her mouth gaped and she paled.

"N-naruto-san?" She said loudly. Matsuri gasped and clapped her hands together.

"Ahh! I knew it! Do you remember me? We met when I was 11...I was Gaara's student, and you were in the rescue team when I got kidnapped!" Katoki blinked, but didnt miss the flinch and flare of chakra Hinata gave off. Waving his hands by his head, he said,

"No...Matsuri-san, Temari-san, you got it wrong...I'm Katoki...Not Na-him." Gaara hadn't said anything, but was surprised at the similarity in Katoki's appearance to his former best friend. He admitted quietly to himself, as he wiped tea from his face, that Katoki had raised his hopes a dash.

"Gaara-sama, I found Yondaime-sama's grandson. I was told that he was to be put in holding until the fighting dies or he can send a suitable escort." Gaara nodded and looked at the ANBU's companions. A few seconds passed before Gaara once again found himself wiping tea off of his face.

"Hinata-chan!" Temari shouted. Kaisa squealed when she saw her father, but still hugged her mother's leg.

Hinata cringed and tried to hide herself behind Keii. Temari blinked when no-one corrected her.

"...No way! Hinata-chan, is that you, for true? I thought you were dead!" Hinata shifted her feet and looked down.

"G-gomen...I hurt a-alot of p-people...I n-never...no, n-nevermind..." Her eyes were dangerously close to tearing up, and Hinata cursed herself for stuttering. Katoki slipped his hand past his student and clutched the Hyuuga's, giving her support.

"Now. About Ditama-Oo." Keii wrinkled his nose and said,

"Please, just Keii. I'm no prince." He said to Gaara. Gaara's eyebrow raised and he said,

"I was just respecting your Haha-ue's position, but if you insist. But down to buisness. I think holding cell 14 is sufficent enough for this boy. Do you agree Temari-nechan?" Temari, still staring at Hinata, and making the poor woman more nervous, just nodded.

Keii broke out into a cold sweat as the Kazekage gazed into his brown eyes.

* * *

"This isn't as bad as I thought it would be." Keii said, looking around the small room that he was to be held in untill Raikage sent an escort group. In fact, the room looked like a hotel. It had a bed, a TV, and bathroom, and a small kitchen. No windows, as Keii had suspected. A pair of bare lightbulbs hanging from a pipe that ran across the ceiling lit the small cell. Keii sighed and sat on the bed.

"I hope you're having more fun than I am, Sasami-chan."

* * *

Sasami in fact, was not. She was currently bound, gagged, blindfolded, stuffed into a burlap sack, and very groggy. She was just starting to wake up from whatever her kidnappers had decided to slip in her evening meal.

The first thing that she became aware of was that she was moving up and down, rather slowly, which didn't help her groggyness. Every so often a small sharp jerk would force her awake, but she would end up nearly falling asleep again as soon as the slow motions continued. Finally, after she had worked off most of whatever was keeping her from thinking, she tried to form small chakra scalpels to cut the rope.

Her hands made the proper signs, Sasami focused on her physical engery and spiritual energy, and mentally combined them in a swirling pattern. When the energy was blended she willed it to her hands...but nothing happened. Grunting, the pink haired queen tried again, but the results were the same.

_Whatever they slipped me must be blocking my chakra...I guess I will have to wait this one out...Kouden-kun..._

What seemed like forever to Sasami, was in fact only an hour or so to her kidnappers as they made their way to the secret prison cell. Descending down the long and well hidden stairwell, placed strategically in the mountains along the Raikuni border, Sasami yelped when her sack was tossed carelessy into a cell. She hit the back wall, and bounced off. The tie on the sack broke and the pink haired girl, wearing only a long tee shirt and a pair of short pale green shorts, burst out from the top with a muffled yell.

Sasami looked towards her kidnappers in time to see the metal gate slide shut, and a flick of red that the lamp mounted on the wall caught. The figure left the small area, leaving Sasami too look around, until she found a way out of her binds.

"Sumimasen...if you crawl over here, I can untie your hands..." a small voice said. Sasami couldnt see the person, but headed slowly in the direction the voice came from. Sasami reached bars before long and sighed. She could make out another prison on the other side of the narrow hall, but it was too far away to reach her hands out.

"Shh, dont worry, hold still..._snap!_ There!" Sasami was surprised when her hands fell down, the rope that had bound them, fell along side them. Reaching up Sasami pulled the gag fro around her head and spit.

"Yuuck! Ahh, thank you! Who are you? Why are we here? Who are they?" She said. The person in the next cell scrambled towards the bars, and revealed to Sasami that it was a little boy with bright green hair, and eyes the colour of amber. The boy waved his hands, and said,

"Ahhh! Too many questions!" Sasami shrank back and blushed furiously. Looking down, she saw the rope that the boy had some how cut, and was awed to see that the ends were smoking. Holding it up, she touched reached out to the bars for support, but jolted back when she received a small shock.

"Ita! Uhn, how did you cut my ropes? I'm all the way over here..." The boy sat back and grinned.

"Easy! I used lightening! So...I guess I should say sorry for that static shock you got." Sasami frowned, but started to untie her legs.

"What's your name, Ne-chan?" The boy said, crossing his arms.

"Sasami...you?" The boy smiled again and said,

"Raiden! Are you ok? Did they give you something that made you all woozy and stuff too?" Sasami smiled at the boy and said,

"Yea, they did...but can you explain to me how you cut the rope?" Raiden tilted his head and said,

"Sasami-ne-chan, I told you...I used lightning! I formed a jolt of lightning into a sharp point, and cut the ropes. it's easy, see?" Raiden held up his hand and flicked it towards the bars. A small point of white light was flung towards the bars. Hitting one, it didnt bounce, but instead was absorbed by the metal with a small crackle of energy.

"Ahh, sugoi! What kind of jutsu is that?" Sasami said, watching closely as the boy bounced a small ball of electricty over his fingertips.

"Mmm, It's not. It's a hyperaffinty...I think is was sensei said..." Sasami's mind clicked. She had heard the term somewhere before.

"Hmm? Hyperaffinity, what does that mean, do you know?" Raiden dropped the ball of light and his cell darkened a tad. He leaned forward and looked at Sasami.

"You know that everyone has a certain affinity to elements...say, my sensei has a naturel affinity to earth, but he can use water and wind almost as well...although he said he had to train extra hard."

"Ahh, I heard about that... I remember reading it in Tsunade-shishou's books. But what's a hyperaffinity?" Raiden let another crackle of lightning light up his small cell again before saying,

"It's rare. Ni-chan had it as well as I did, but we were the first to have one in a long time...that I know of. It means that I can channel my element and waste virtually no chakra at all, it just comes so naturally..." Sasami didnt miss the sad look in Raiden's grey eyes when he mentioned his brother.

"Oh...uhnnn, do you know where we are?" Raiden shook his head and brought his knees up to his chest. Resting his chin on one knee, he held an open palm out, face up and swirled a small ball of lightning around.

"So hold old are you? You seem pretty smart for a little kid." Raiden dropped the ball and glared at Sasami.

"I'm 8. It's plenty old enough."

"You're still in academy arent you." Raiden fell backwards and hit his head against the wall. The pink haired medic gave a small smile.

* * *

Tenten paced around the low table in her small, but modestly decorated house. Stopping in front of the TV, she ran her finger over the family portrait taken just before Kouden had left with Jiraiya.

She was hanging off Neji's arm, her head resting on his shoulder, while Neji was standing tall, proud, and grinning like an idiot. Kouden, who barely came up to Tenten's shoulder had his arm around his taller, and younger step sister. Aiko wore a small and lady like smile, but her large white eyes hinted at something else entirely. Both Tenten and Aiko wore their hair down that day.

Sighing with weariness, she sat down on one of the cusions on the ground. She hadn't seen her husband in a week, and her blonde stepson who reminded her so much of Naruto, in 2 years.

"Ka-chan...are you ok? Over the last few days you seemed to be a little...off..." Aiko said, as she silently descended the stairs. Tenten turned her dark eyes to face her daughter and said, with a little wave,

"It's nothing... I'm just worried about your brother and your father. Besides, don't you have to meet your team?" Aiko smiled politely, and Tenten saw the calculating Hyuuga that Neji was so proud of.

"I dont have a team meeting today...Sensei is taking the week off. I was just about to leave to see some friends...is that alright? Would you rather me stay and keep you company...?" Tenten smiled and narrowed her eyes.

"Friends...or Kamei-san?" Aiko's face turned beet red as she lost all of her composure. Opening her mouth she sputtered out,

"K-k-kamei-k-kun? No! We are just friends! I-I mean...Yea, b-but he's a friend! We are going to hang out with other friends!" Tenten nodded her head and laughed a deep and hearty laugh. It felt nice.

"Be lucky that you are Hinata-chan's relative, for if it wasnt for Naruto befriending Konohamaru-san, I doubt he would let you get anywhere near his cousin. He's very protective of Kurenai-sensei's son." Aiko tilted her head.

"Ka-chan...you're chakra spiked when you said Hinata-obsama's name...before you left for Kumo, it never used to do that...did something happen in the cloud? I've heard about what happened to her when she was a child..."

Tenten rubbed the back of her head. Sighing in resignation, she said in a quiet voice,

"Aiko-chan...what do you think of Hiashi-sama?" Aiko put her finger on her chin and said,

"Ji-sama is alright, he's sad sometimes, I think it's because he sent Tou-chan out to kill his oldest daughter all those years ago. I still cant beleive Tou-chan would do that though..." She ended her sentance on a sad note. Tenten smirked.

"Aiko-chan...Hiashi-sama...I was 12 when I first met him...a few days after I was put on your Tou-chan's genin cell, Hiashi-sama was not a very nice man. He abused Hinata-chan because he thought her too weak. He constantly destroyed her confidence to the point where Hanabi-chan was hostpitalizing her with every spar...But Naruto helped change that, as I'm sure everyone knows...It's one of Konoha's most famous love stories, famous for it's tragic ending. But he got very angry with the fact that she had been spending time with him...Aiko, when we were kids, everyone hated Naruto...I'm not sure why...the Elders will not tell us."

"Ka-chan...you're dawdling...I have to leave soon." Tenten felt herself heat up a little bit.

"Gomen, gomen. Just revelling in my memories. But when I was in Kumogakure, I met the last person I expected to see. I saw Hinata-chan, alive and well..."

"Ahh?! Hinata-obasan?! Really?" Tenten nodded, but raised a hand to quiet her 12 year old daughter.

"I talked with her. And found out the truth. Would you like to hear it now, or leave it untill after your date with Kamei-san?" Aiko squeaked and blushed again. A quick glance at the clock that hung over the sink in the kitchen showed that she had 15 more minutes to spare.

"Keep going! Keep going!" Aiko said breathily.

"Well, alright...You see, as explained later, she disproved the story that was realeased...She didn't go mad and kill Naruto...No, Hiashi-sama did. Hinata told me that it was because he found out she was pregnant with Naruto's child. Neji spared her, because he is too kind to kill like that."

"...Child? As in, from her and Naruto-sama? Is she still alive? The child?" Tenten laughed.

"Aiko-chan! What makes you think that Naruto would have a girl first! No, when we were younger, Hinata told me once that she dreamt of herself playing with a small boy, he had blonde spiky hair, and white eyes."

"So she had a boy? With blonde hair and white eyes?" Tenten nodded, and Aiko continued, "What's his name? How old...wait...he'd be...14? Two years older...than me...Ka-chan?" Tenten looked at the portrait and said,

"Hinata-chan was at the bar with her son. With Kouden. Your step brother. Neji, the only person to know that Hinata was still alive, agreed to take in her son and train him to be a proud Shinobo of the Leaf." Aiko's mouth was agape, and her face was ashen.

"S-so...ni-chan..really is my nichan? We are cousins?" Tenten nodded and smiled. Aiko smiled as well, but hers was of pride.

"I cant wait to tell everyone! This is so cool-"

"No. You must not." Tenten interrupted the girls chatter.

"What? Why?" Aiko said, finding herself growing angry.

"Hinata-chan said that she would come back in due time." Aiko huffed but slowly nodded. Tenten relaxed some more, glad that she passed the time without wearing a hole in her floor.

"Ka-chan...I have to go meet Ka-er, my friends. Baibai.."

"He has to bring you back by 11. No later." Aiko frowned and blushed again before leaving Tenten alone in her house.

A few hours later found Tenten snoozing on the heated table, a thin line of spit had reached the table from her askew mouth. A loud knock on the door startled her. Jolting upright, she looked at the clock, 9:46. Wiping the drool off of her face, she made her way to the door and opened it.

"Hyuuga-san?" Tenten nodded and the short but lanky boy held out a small letter. "From Sunagakure." Tenten thanked him, but he had dashed away.

Turning, she closed the door with her foot and excitedly opened the letter, eager for new on Neji.

_This is a report, that is sent out at the end of each month to families not in Sunagakure concerning the status of soldiers. Any comments or questions regarding this should be directed to the Kage or Leader of your respected village. The status station is located on the outskirts of the encampment in outside of Sungakure if you wish to voice your comment/query in person. _

_Hyuuga Tenten-sama, _

_Concerning the status of one Hyuuga Neji-sama, we regret to inform you that he failed to report to any check point and has passed the 7 day time limit. His final day of MIA was 15 days from today's date ((11/16)).  
_

_Concerning the status of one Hyuuga Kouden-sama, we regret to inform you that he failed to report to any check point and has passed the special extended period of 14 day time limit. His final day of MIA was 6 days from today's date ((11/16))._

_We are very sorry for your losses, _

_Signed: Umino Chiyo (Assistant Status Point Worker)_

"Umino Chiyo? What is she doing there? I thought she was teaching with Iruka-sensei..." Tenten said. Her voice was calm and cool. Re-reading the letter, Tenten was surprised to find herself on her knees, pounding the floor and screaming. Tears were falling down her face when she finally stopped screaming. Her legs felt like jelly, and her arms felt tense.

"T-t-today...is the 19th...th-th-that means...ichi, n-ni, san...Oh k-kami-sama...when I sent that let-t-ter...N-n-neji...K-kou-den...uuu.." Saying their names made it feel like it was final to Tenten, and this made her start to sob hysterically again.

_Click._ Aiko quietly shut the door. It was 11:30, she was late and her mother was going to have her hide. Smiling at the night's profitable events, she didn't notice Tenten lying on the floor by the table until the woman gave a heaving sob.

"Ah, ah! Ka-chan! What happened!" Aiko said quickly and quietly, pulling out a hidden kunai. Tenten didnt move her face, but released her grip on the letter. Aiko looked at it and gently pryed it from her mother's hand.

"Oh...Oh Kami-sama..." Aiko said, silent tears slipped down her cheek.

* * *

End Chapter 31 


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

* * *

Hinata's stomach was churning. Katoki walked in through the bathroom door and handed her a cup of lukewarm ginger tea. Hinata, still sitting on the floor gratefully took it and sipped, relishing the feeling of calm that it gave her stomach.

"Hinata-chan... Maybe you should see a doctor? I mean, you've been throwing up nearly every day since we started out for the war..." Hinata waved her hand infront of her tea cup.

"I'm fine...It's nerves. Besides, even If I feel nervous, I only get sick if I dont eat...So I will try to keep myself not hungry...I guess." Katoki sighed and ran his hand down Hinata's cheek. Hinata shivered and gave a small smile.

That was, until she paled again and started to retch into the toilet. Katoki, slightly grossed out, but more worried, just rubbed the small of her back. The muscles in the Hyuuga's back relaxed and she sat back.

"Katoki-kun...I'm worried about Kouden... do you think he's alright? I mean, he's only 14, and Jiraiya brought him to war...ohh, Shiro too! I hope his family isnt worried..." Katoki grinned and Hinata gave a little smile.

"Kouden is a big boy...He can handle himself. He's chuunin too! Plus he's with Jiraiya-sama! Jiraiya-sama wouldnt let anything happen to him." Hinata nodded and took another sip of her tea.

* * *

Jiraiya paced the cabin he was in.

"Kuso, kuso, KUSO!" He shouted, and threw his jar of sake across the room where it shattered and splashed clear liquid everywhere. A few crows outside the cabin fluttered off with miffed caws. Sitting down, the legendary Gama-Sennin felt utterly helpless. Tsunade was going to kill him. No, she wasn't just going to do that, she was going to obliterate him. Rubbing his hands on his face he tried to think of a better way to figure out this situation.

Glancing at the two bundles of blankets in the corner, the old man had to look away as panic started to build in his chest.

"Naruto, Hinata-san...I'm sorry..." Jiraiya rubbed his face again.

* * *

A few days later found Katoki and Hinata back on the battlefeild. It also found Katoki not ducking fast enough.

Katoki sighed as he watched a small lock of his messy blonde hair fell down one of his cheek. Still crouching, as he had ducked under a mass of shadow clone shruiken, Katoki unleashed a few of his own stars.

The person that Katoki was fighting was almost defiantly a woman. Her head was covered in black fabric, but a large bright green ponytail swung from the top. She was wearing a shirt that hid all, if any feminine features, but judging from her height, and her flexibility (which rather frightened Katoki for a few minutes when he thought he had snapped her spine, only to be back-flip snap-kicked in the jaw.) Katoki assumed this was a woman. He wasn't going to hold back when fighting her, as she brandished her Iwa hiteate quite proudly, but as Katoki absolutely hated hurting women, he was planning on making her death as painless as possible, and he knew the perfect jutsu.

Smirking, he watched the faceless woman dodge the oncoming shruiken with ease before he started into a long series of seals. Sucking in his breath, Katoki prepared to unleash his jutsu when a dark blur swooped over his head. Holding his breath, he watched as the dark blur landing and revealed itself to be a dark haired ANBU. The back of the beige flak vest was covered in blood that Katoki knew wasn't from the owner of the vest.

The ANBU jumped at the woman with the ponytail and before the flexible woman from Iwagakure could react, the ANBU slapped her chest hard enough to push the Iwa-nin back a few steps. The woman's hands shot to her chest and she knelt over coughing, before finally falling forward. She gave one last twitch before she was still, and Katoki knew she was dead.

Katoki's brow twitched and he swallowed the chakra that he had gathered in his mouth.

"Aww, c'mon Hinata-chan. That was _my_ kill!" Katoki said, straightening the mask that covered his own face. Hinata shrugged and dusted her hand off.

"Next time use a shorter jutsu. Well, what's your count?" Hinata said, her voice muffled by her mask. Katoki shrugged.

"Some where around 80, I don't know, wasn't counting." Hinata tilted her head and said,

"I'm at 147. I left a few alive though. I feel bad about killing the younger ones." Katoki gawked. Running a hand through his hair he sighed and gazed at Hinata. Not for the first time he was glad the he was wearing a mask to hide the slight blush that dusted his cheeks and to hide the motion of his wandering eyes.

He wasn't afraid of Hinata, precisely; he knew now to never wake her up from a nightmare unless he was well off to her side.

"_Hinata-chan, Hinata-chan! Wake up! It's just a dream!" Katoki said as he tried to rouse his indigo haired girlfriend. She was sweating, and moaning distressfully. Her face was screwed up in a look of pain, and it disturbed Katoki to see this happening. _

_Rolling so he was above her, he shook her shoulder and called her name again. Hinata snapped her eyes open and gasped. Her hand shot up and hit Katoki on his side. Katoki gaped and flapped his mouth a few times._

_Hinata rubbed her eyes and looked up at Katoki._

"_Ahh? K-katoki-kun? What are you doing here? Katoki-kun?" Katoki was still flapping his mouth when his arm gave out and he collapsed on Hinata's stomach. Hinata blushed and let out a squeak._

"_Katoki-kun, what's wrong!" She said in a tight voice. When the blonde didn't answer her, she became worried and went through a few seals. Her hand lit up in a green fire, and she placed it on the spot he had been holding._

"_A-ah! Kuso! Gomen, Katoki-kun!" Hinata gasped. Making one more short set of seals, the fire spread to both her hands and burned brighter. Placing them on his side, she slowly knit up the muscles in Katoki's side, and repaired the bottom of his lung. _

_Katoki opened his cerulean eyes after a few minutes only to meet concerned white ones. Giving her a tired smirk he said, _

"_Are you ok now? You were having a nightmare." Hinata's wiped a few tears from her eyes and said in a shaky voice, _

"_Katoki-kun! I'm so sorry!" Katoki grinned and shook his head. Sitting up he exasperated in pain, but stayed sitting. Hinata helped him up but before she could say anything, he said, _

"_What did you do? I was just leaning over you and you hit me, not even hard, and my entire side went numb!" Hinata sat back and invented a new shade of red._

"_I…I jyuukened you…" She frowned again, but Katoki just laughed._

"_Ow. I'm glad I'm not your enemy. I don't think I'm going to watch you shower anymore ether, for fear of being caught, anyway." Hinata's mouth was wide and her face was almost as white as her eyes._

Rubbing his side, he resisted the impulse to rub his face, where she had slapped him quite hard. Pushing his mask to the side of his head, Katoki grinned at Hinata. Hinata tucked her mask in her belt and looked down to her left.

"Is something wrong, Katoki-kun?" Hinata said, inspecting the body of the woman she killed, and relieving her of useful weapons and supplies. Katoki shook his hand in front of his mask and said,

"No no no. I'm fine, don't concern yourself. Now, the day is almost over, let's hit the nearest checkout camp and take a few hours to rest. Hinata nodded and adjusted her blood covered flak vest.

Katoki was making his way over to Hinata, when he heard a small scuff on the dirt behind him, but before he had a chance to turn around, he heard a yell.

"Katoki-kun!!!" Katoki turned his head and caught a glimpse of silver. His heart instantly sped up as a rush of adrenaline spread throughout his chest. A quiet buzzing threatened to give Katoki a headache as he tried to spin in time to meet what ever was heading in his direction.

It was almost as if time slowed. By the time he had fully turned and could fully see the Nin, the blade Katoki saw, a wakizashi as it turns out, was only a few feet away from him and aimed straight for his heart. Katoki raised his arms, both holding kunai, but he knew that nothing would help. His heart skipped a beat and by instinct, Katoki closed his eyes tight.

He heard the wakizashi pierce his flesh. He smelt blood. He could even _taste _it in the air.

Not quite daring to open his eyes yet, he felt a slight pressure on both of his shoulders. The buzzing at the back of his head got louder. He heard nothing but his own heartbeat. Even the wind had died.

The sound of a mouth opening, of lips coming unstuck from a day of fighting and running, seemed loud to Katoki.

"K-katoki-kun…" Katoki's entire body twitched as his eyes snapped open.

The sight in front of him nearly made him wretch, and the buzz at the back of his head picked up to a high pitched whine, and the dull throb of his headache became pangs of ripping pain, but Katoki ignored it.

Hinata was standing in front of him, facing him with her delicately calloused hands on his shoulders. Her pearly eyes were wide and filled with tears, but she was smiling. The small trail of blood that ran from her lip seemed to contrast her pale skin, despite the random dirt smudges she had gotten from days of fighting. Katoki's eyes widened further as he trailed the line of blood and glanced at her chest.

Sticking a full inch and a half out of her chest was the tip of the wakizashi that had been meant for Katoki. Blood covered the entire front of her flak vest. Hinata coughed and a fine spray of blood stained Katoki's own vest, but he didn't pay notice.

The Nin standing behind Hinata had a look of surprise on his face, but it quickly changed to satisfaction as he pulled his wakizashi out of her chest. The noise made Katoki nauseus.

Hinata fell forward as soon as the blade was free from her chest, and Katoki caught her with gentle ease. The Nin had stepped back to wipe his blade on the nearest corpse's clothes, and Katoki used this brief moment to frantically try and stop the blood.

"Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan, you need to stay awake! Keep your eyes open!" He said to her. He tried to yell, but his vocal chords seemed to have contracted and his pleas came out as a harsh whisper.

"K-ka-t-toki…k-kun…" She said, half choking on her own blood. Tears were leaking out of her eyes as she looked up at Katoki.

"Shh, don't talk, don't move." Grabbing her hand, Katoki gasped as a flash of silver passed his left eye. He head shot up and Katoki felt a warm trickle of blood run down his cheek.

"Silly Kumo-nin. Don't they teach you to never take your attention off of the enemy? I could have killed you right then. Don't you even care about your life? Tch tch." Katoki grit his teeth. His headache doubled in size and the high peeled whine tripled in volume. Laying Hinata gently on the ground, Katoki stood up and drew his short katana.

_Zzzzzzzzzzzzz…SNAP!_ Katoki's eyes widened and vision became blurry. He felt himself collapsing as black bled into the edges of his vision. Katoki felt a pang of despair as he felt his head hit the ground, and his world became submersed in a sea of inky darkness.

* * *

Hanabi twitched. That unexpected motion startled her enemy, and Hanabi quickly jumped in to finish him off. Looking up at the sky, she saw that night was aproaching soon, and started to head towards the nearest station.

A pang in her chest made her place a hand over her heart.

"What was that?" She said outloud. Her chest felt oddly empty... Shaking her head, Hanabi picked up the pace as she made her way to the check station.

Pushing the tent flap open, she nodded at one of the supervisor's who knew her by name. The tent was fairly large, and spotting an empty cot at the back, she was mildly surprised to see her father walking towards her, a slightly lost look on his face.

"Otou-sama? I didn't expect you to be here..." Hanabi said. Hiashi looked at her as if he had just noticed her.

"Oh...Hanabi-chan? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be training with Neji or Hinata?" Hanabi flinched, but settled a hand on her father's shoulder and grabbed his hand gently. Leading him towards the tent flap, she said,

"Otou-sama...Hinata-ne-san is busy and so is Neji-ni-san..." Hiashi smiled at her and nodded.

Hanabi led him to the hospital on the other side of the village.

"Sensei...My Otou-sama is a little off today..." Hanabi tapped her head when Hiashi looked away, "...I was wondering if there was a place that would keep him away from the war untill he regains his senses?" Hanabi said to a tall man wearing the standard medic-nin uniform, which consisted of a beige shirt, beige pants that tucked into beige sandals, and a cap that completely covered his hair. A large red cross was on his back. Hanabi figured the man had just returned from the feild, as she had seen the uniform there a few times.

"Ah...Yes, we have a seniors ward...how long did you say?" Hanabi shrugged slightly and said,

"Well, He get's better after a good night's sleep. It's nothing to worry about, he never fully recovered from One-san's death some years ago." The medic-nin nodded and said,

"Ahh, I see...we actually have a few cases like that here. Only for the night? Alright. Come back tomorrow and we will release him...ahh! Tsunade-sama!" Hanabi spun her head and saw the blonde Hokage in the entrance way. Her legs were spread and her arms were tensed. Killer intent started to roll off of her as soon as she spotted Hiashi. Hiashi smiled at her. His smiled made Tsunade grit her teeth, which marred her young features. Something that Hanabi was miffed about, as Tsunade looked almost as young as herself, yet Hanabi clearly remembered when she was instated that she looked the same.

"Ahh, Tsunade-sama. What a pleasure it is to see you." Hiashi said. The killer intent rose and a few people who werent shinobi started to retch.

"YOU! YOU KILLED HIM!" The blonde yelled. Hiashi's smiled slipped. Shuffling his feet so that he was facing his Hokage, he said in a clear voice that was devoid of any emotion,

"Gomen nasai, Hokage-sama. I do not expect to be forgiven." This was the last thing that Tsunade was expecting to come out of his mouth. It startled her into dropping every ounce of killer intent. Hanabi was still confused as Tsunade marched over to Hiashi, grabbed a hold of his arm and dragged him out of the hospital. Hanabi followed quietly and quickly.

* * *

Gaara was just finishing the day's paperwork when Tsunade burst into his office dragging an older man with long dark hair. A younger woman with equally dark hair was following her.

"Gaara, I found him." Gaara glanced at the man, and saw his eyes. All of his anger at Tsunade was redirected at the man in front of him. Hiashi looked up and looked straight into Gaara's cold turqouise eyes and said,

"It was an accident, Kazekage-sama." Gaara paled in anger. Hanabi started to choke from the killing intent that was rolling off both Kages. She vaguely heard the guards outside the door throw up.

"You killed him! My best friend! You sent your own _nephew_ to kill your daughter! And then you lied about it by saying that Hinata, the girl who had loved him for _years_ had killed him! What is wrong with you!" Gaara shouted. Hanabi had backed to the wall, but was staring at her father.

"...You killed...Naruto-san?" Hiashi spared her a quick glance before saying,

"I did not mean to kill Uzumaki." Tsunade's face turned angry before she spit out,

"No, we know that. You were trying to kill Hinata." Hanabi gasped.

"Hanabi-chan, do you want to know _why_ your father was trying to kill your sister? And why he sent your cousin to finish the job for him?" Hanabi paled when everyone's attention turned to her crouched figure by the wall.

"H-hai..." She said quietly. Gaara narrowed his eyes before saying quietly,

"He tried to kill her because she was with child. But not just any child, the 'demon's' child." Hanabi didnt make any noise, but looked at Tsunade. Tsunade nodded slowly and Hanabi nearly fainted.

"Y-you mean if Nej-ji ni-san hadn't k-killed On-ne-san, I would be an a-aunt?" Hanabi started to cry and Tsunade clicked her tongue before making her way over to the young clan leader.

"Hanabi-chan, do you really beleive that Neji could kill his own cousin, whom he considered a sister?" Hanabi started to cry harder.

"You have a nephew, Hanabi-san. You know him quite well." Hanabi stopped crying at Gaara's words, but was still hiccuping. Hiashi swung his gaze over to Gaara.

"Hinata is alive?" His tight question made Tsunade grind her teeth.

"With no thanks to you." Hiashi stiffened.

"Hiashi, what did you do with Naruto's body?" Hiashi paled slightly before carefully saying,

"A few branch members...sold it to some villagers that were...more than willing to dispose of the demon's body in secret." Tsunade cracked her knuckles loudly, and Gaara's sand started to buzz with movement.

"He was _not_ a demon. If anything, I was! He protected Konoha every single day since the day he was born, and that was the thanks you gave him? Killing him because your daughter fell in love with the greatest hero they have ever known? Yondaime-sama must be rolling in his grave." The red head word's only made Hanabi more confused.

"D-demon? P-prot-tect?" She said between hiccups. Tsunade looked at her and smoothed the woman's hair as one would a child.

"Hanabi, do you remember that legend about Yondaime killing kyuubi? It happened before both you and your sister's births..." Hanabi nodded.

"Y-yondaime-sama k-killed him...losing his l-life in the process...why?" She said, as Tsunade continued to smooth her hair.

"Yondaime didn't kill Kyuubi, nobody could. Instead, he sealed it inside a newborn, a human sacrifice. Gaara is the same way, except that his father sealed Shukaku inside of him so that he would be the ultimate weapon. No, Yondaime wanted Naruto to be seen as a hero. Konoha is not very forgiving, as he grew up knowing only hate and pain. It's a wonder he turned out so well. The fact was made a secret among his generation so that he had the chance of growing up normally...do you understand?" Hanabi's eyes were wide and shone with tears.

"H-he...that exp-plains so much...the l-looks...the whisp-pers..." Hanabi glared at her father.

"A story well known to the older generation of Konoha, I do not need it repeated again. Now, you said that Hinata was alive? I want to see her!" Tsunade's eye twitched.

"Why would I let you see her. What's stopping me from killing you right now? Naruto was like a son to me! You murdered my _child_ Hiashi. Why should you ever see the light of day again, praytell." The blonde shouted.

"So I can apologize before you kill me. I regret what I did with all of my heart. I never liked the boy, and I never will. Not only was he tainting my eldest daughter, thanks to what he contains, half of my clan was killed in the attack. Not to mention the pranks he played...What about my grandson, do I not at least get to see what his spawn looks like, a Hyuuga half breed?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"Kouden is not 'spawn'. He is the son of a hero, and the closest thing I have to a grandson!" Hanabi gasped, and Hiashi paled.

"K-kouden? He's my n-nephew?" Hanabi whispered. Tsunade was still staring at Hiashi and didnt respond.

"You've seen your grandson enough. When I find Hinata, I will let you apologize to her. You will do it sincerely, and with no harsh words. Untill then, Gaara lock him in ANBU solitary. Hiashi, you had better prepare your speech, for after you see her, I'm going to have you executed." Hanabi started to cry again and grabbed Tsunade's arms.

"P-please! Tsunade-sama! Don't k-kill him!" Tsunade regarded Hanabi with her brown eyes, and was wished that she looked more like Hinata, instead of Hiashi.

"...Fine. But I promise you, punishment will not be light for killing the son of a Hokage, and attempting to commit murder upon your own child." Hiashi stiffened, and bowed.

"I expected much worse. Hanabi, you should not waste your breath on this old man."

"Damn straight she shouldn't. Be lucky that one person in this world likes you." Gaara said. Hiashi almost sneered at him.

* * *

Sasami was feeling sad. She wasn't sure why, she had been stuck in this cell with Raiden, who was very good company, for a few days now. Food came twice a day, but she had no clue as to what times of the days. She assumed it was night when she was tired, and Raiden agreed with her.

Sasami and Raiden had tried various jutsu's to break out, but the bars and walls seemed to absorb whatever chakra they seeped into it. So to pass time, they taught each other jutsu's.

"Katon: Gokakyuu no jutsu!" Raiden said, and blew through his fingers. He flinched when a tiny puff of fire burst from his fingers, but died out before reaching the size of a basketball. Lowering his fingers, he sighed and said,

"This is useless, Sasami-ne-chan...I can't do it...I've been trying for hours." Sasami giggled and said,

"Raiden-kun, you give up to easy! Although, I must not be a very good teacher, I learned it by watching Sasuke-san and Kakashi-sensei spar. I'm not the best fighter, I am training to be a medic nin...although the scrolls that Shishou gave me were left at the palace when these people took me." Raiden tilted his head.

"Palace? Sasami-ne-chan, where are you from? What district?" Sasami hesitated before saying,

"Uhn...North...Actually, I'm the Hoku-hime...It's a boring job." Raiden gasped and immediatly threw his hands and face to the ground, bowing as low as possible.

"Gomen nasai, Hoku-hime-sama! I did not mean to address you so informally...forgive a simple nin like me." Sasami blushed hotly and said,

"No! No! Raiden! Stop it! Please, not you too...I wasn't raised in Raikuni...I was raised in Hokuni, in a small fishing village. I trained to be a shinobi in Konoha, and was told, just a few months ago, that I was queen of an entire district! Please, drop the formalities! I would rather have a little brother than a subject..." Raiden slowly lifted his head and said quietly,

"Gomen...S-sasami-hime..."

"Ne-chan!"

"Sasami-ne-chan..."

"Much better." Sasami said smiling loudly. Raiden smiled as well, and before long, the two were laughing wildly. That was until the steel door burst open and a cloud of purple smoke billowed into the room.

Sasami and Raiden were unconcious before their brains could understand what had happened.

* * *

"Yondaime-sama? You seem a little off, is everything alright?" Nanao, the Raikage's assisstant asked as she placed another pile of reports on his desk. The old man was reading a letter, tears forming tiny rivers down his ancient face.

"Migoto-chan..." He said. He held out the letter for Nanao to take before he buring his face in his hands. Nanao took the letter and read it to herself.

_Yondaime-sama, Migoto-sama was kidnapped, she was betrayed by her teacher, Souma. Souma has been executed as is law for treachery, but Migoto-sama's whereabouts are not traceable. We have tried everything possible, but there appears to be no sign of her. We fear the worst. We will update you if we find her body. We sincerely regret having to write this._

"Oh...Yondaime-sama...I'm so sorry...is there anything I can do? Oh, here!" Nanao held out a scroll that she had received via hawk just a few hours previous.

"Ah...Keii, it seems Katoki found you lurking in Suna...Nanao, rally up three ANBU and bring them here for debreifing." Nanao nodded and left. A few minutes later, she came in with a bottle and placed it on Yondaime's desk. She gave him a friendly smile and left again, with the intent of finding ANBU.

The Raikage smiled sadly and took the bottle of sake and looked at it. Turning it in his hands, he uncorked it, and drained it.

* * *

End Chapter 32 


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

* * *

_"Gaara..." A soft voice whispered. Gaara rolled over and looked Matsuri right in her black eyes. Grunting, Gaara waited for her to continue, but she broke eye contact and stared up at the ceiling of the small sandstone room. Gaara reached over and tucked a stray lock of her sandy hair behind her ear. Matsuri blushed slightly and smiled._

_"What's wrong, you havent been like this since you found...Matsuri?" Gaara said, his turqouise eyes widening. Matsuri grinned at him and nodded. Gaara wanted to throw up.  
_

_"Kaisa-chan is gonna be an one-san!" Matsuri said, an excited gleam in her eyes._

Sitting up, Gaara nearly shouted. Wiping the sweat off of his forehead, he looked to his right and saw Matsuri tangled in her blankets.

"A dream...?" Glancing at her flat stomach, flecked with old battle scars, he shuddered. A child was was the last thing that Gaara needed to worry about right now. He had just received the death tolls, and was dismayed at a few names he found on the list.

"Nnn, Gaara? Why are you awake so early?" a tired voice said. Matsuri sat up and leaned on Gaara's shoulder, closing her eyes.

"Good morning, Matsuri. Did you sleep well?" Matsuri smiled and nodded without taking her head of the red head's shoulder.

"I...I have to finish the paper work that I didn't get to last night...I still have to sign reports and passes for food and supplies...amoung other things. Why don't you get back to sleep?" Matsuri nodded and fell back onto the bed, a small cloud of the never-really-gone sand floated into the air.

After Gaara had dressed and left for his office, Matsuri lowered her bare feet to the stone floor, but quickly recoiled them with a gasp.

"Cold!" She said, but with a deep breath she quickly skirted to the carpet in the middle of the floor. Dressing in a crimson coloured yukata with white trim, she tied the thick obi and slid black shorts up her legs. Leaping over the cold floor onto the slightly warmer wooden one outside of her bedroom, she gave a small giggle, and silently walked down the hall towards her daughter's room. Sliding the paper shouji door open, she peered at the 3 year old and sighed. Her red hair was messy from sleeping. The next room over was the nanny's room. She stayed here 5 days a week to look after Kaisa if both Matsuri and Gaara were busy.

"Psst...Aibu-san, Aibu-san!" The nanny sat up, her grey hair sticking out out of its bun wildy. Looking at Matsuri she smiled and said politely,

"May I be of assisstance, Matsuri-sama?"

"I need to run a few errands...Please watch Kaisa. Gaara is working in his office. I have no idea when ether of us will return." Aibu nodded and Matsuri grinned again. Pausing breifly at her door, she slipped on her knee high, toeless boots, and stode out of her house.

Instincively she started to head for Gaara's office, but decided that he probably didn't need her at the moment.

Turning the street corner, Matsuri rasied her hand to protect her eyes from the sand in the wind.

No one was shopping, Matsuri supposed it was too early for that still. Squinting, she spotted the place she had been looking for. Hurrying over, she ducked under the curtains and sat down on a stool.

"Irashaimasen!" The owner called from the back. Matsuri folded her hands and waited for the old man to come out.

"Ohayou gozaimasu ji-sama!" Matsuri said, when the grey haired man finally showed himself. THe man stared at her for a second before saying,

"Ahh! Gaara-sama's honoured wife! What a pleasure it is to have my humble stand honoured by your presence." The old man reached over and grabbed Matsuri's hand and kissed it. Matsuri giggled and blushed.

"Please, Matsuri is just fine. Now, I haven't been here in a few years, I can tell you that!" She said, looking around at the changes.

"Ahh, I remember that. It was a few weeks before Gaara-sama became Kazekage, your first date, am I right?" Matsuri clapped her hands and said,

"Sugoi! I am amazed that you remembered that! That has to have been over 15 years ago...But I've seen you in here when my son is working before, Matsuri-sama. Gaara-sama comes in every week too." Matsuri smiled again.

"Does he? My, my. But I must be annoying with my chatter..." the old man grinned and said,

"Oh no, Matsuri-sama, quite the opposite, but I assume you are hungry? What can I get you today?" Matsuri pointed at the menu on the wall and said,

"Miso ramen please!"

Patting her full stomach, Matsuri continued to walk to the Kage office. Her short brown hair swayed with everystep, tickling her neck. Coming upon the side door to the office, she was about to open it when she heard Gaara talking.

"--dead. I'm sorry...if you want, I can have some accomodations sent?" Gaara said, his voice was dripping in sorrow. Matsuri was worried.

"Dead? DEAD?! That bastard DIED on me! ARGGHHHH!!!" The person Gaara was talking to stomped out of his office, and Matsuri slowly entered.

"...Gaara? Daijoubu?" Gaara had his face in his hands, his elbows on his desk. Papers were strewn everywhere, and a small paperweight was embedded into the sandstone wall behind Gaara. Gaara shook his head, but didn't look at Matsuri. Slipping an arm around him, she got down on her knees and looked through Gaara's arms at his face.

Gasping, he reached out and said,

"Gaara...you...You're crying! What's wrong! Are you hurt?" Gaara touched his cheek and looked at his fingers in surprise.

"Matsuri, do you detest my brother?" Matsuri was taken back.

"No...Why would I? He's a good man, I'm just comprehensive about letting my child play with his trap loaded puppets." Gaara looked at her and handed her a peice of paper.

Matsuri took the paper, but looked at Gaara before reading it. Her black eyes widened and shone with tears.

"Oh...Kami-sama, Kankuro...Gaara, I'm so sorry..." Gaara shook his head, and gave a grin.

"That was the Junko woman who was just in here. She actually had the nerve to demand Kankuro's presence. I had just received the letter. Temari doesn't know yet...Could...Matsuri, could you tell her for me? I dont think I would be able to. I haven't felt this bad since Yashamaru died..." Matsuri nodded and wiped away her tears.

"You can count on me, Gaara. I will be back soon..." Bending down, she placed a kiss on Gaara's love symbol.

"Matsuri?"

"Dont dwell on it right now. You are the leader of the village hidden in sand, the best shinobi in the village. I love you, I will be back soon." Gaara smiled as Matsuri left, and buried his face in his hands again.

Matsuri made her way across the large village, occasionally wiping sand out of her eyes. The wind was really blowing today. The few people out shopping all had their faces covered with masks, and Matsuri soon wished that she had brought her own. Turning down a residential street, Matsuri counted doors until she came up to the 14th one.

Knocking on the door, Matsuri suddenly felt nervous. A small rattle got her attention as the door opened. A small girl with two black spiky ponytails look up at her and Matsuri said,

"Ahh, Shikazai-chan...Is your Okaa-san home? Your Otou-san, even?" Shikazai nodded and said,

"Mama is home. Chichi-ue isn't aloud in the house yet. Mama says to give it another week. Did you want to come in, Obachan? Mama is giving Tayou-chan a bath." Matsuri smiled and placed her hand on her neice's head.

Taking her shoes off in the small entry way, she followed the black haired girl through the house until they read the large washing room. Temari sat in a casual robe, with the sleeves tied up, bathing an infant whose small mop of blonde hair was just starting to grow.

"Mama, do you need any help? Can I bath Tayou-chan?" Temari looked up, slightly surprised to see Matsuri.

"Ahh, Shika-chan...I guess, here, make sure to not let him go...just take the cloth and very softy wipe his legs and belly. Ok? I will be over here with your Oba-chan." Shikazai gave a bright smile and carefully took the baby into her arms.

"My, Shikazai-chan, for a 7 year old you sure are responsible..." Shikazai gave a grin, and a laugh before resuming her work. Temari untied her sleeves and smiled at Matsuri. Matsuri suddenly remembered why she was here, and looked away guiltily.

"Matsuri? Is everything alright?" Matsuri wiped away a tear and said,

"Ne-chan...I think, that maybe Shikazai should not be here to here this, should I call for Shikamaru-ni-chan? He can take Shikazai and Tayoumaru to my house...Kaisa would like that, she loves her cousins." Temari tensed up and looked at her children.

"I dont know where that idiot is though..." the blonde said, teasing one of her ponytails with a nervous hand.

"He's just down the street, playing shougi at the fish bar. I saw him on my way here. I saw him there yesturday too." Temari's face reddened, as she stormed out of the bathroom. Matsuri grinned again when she heard the door slam. Walking over to her neice, she bent down and Shikazai said,

"Obachan, I'm done washing him...what do I do now?" Matsuri reached over and took Tayoumaru from the girl's arms and looked into his dark eyes. Tayoumaru giggled a little and Matsuri said,

"Shikazai-chan, go get a soft towel, and then we can feed this little guy some lunch while your Ka-chan...fetches your Tou-chan." Shikazai nodded and returned with a white towel. She helped Matsuri wrap her brother up, before leading her aunt to the kitchen.

"Can you get me a small pot and fill it with water?" Shikazai nodded and hurridly found a pot. Matsuri opened the large fridge and took out one of the bottles on milk. Shikazai finished filling the pot, and put it on the stove, as instructed too.

"Here, take your brother for a second..." Matsuri said, handing the baby to the girl. Turning a knob on the stove, she ran her hands through a series of seals before finishing on the tora seal.

"Katon: Gokakyuu no jutsu!" a small fireball puffed out of her mouth and lit the stove. Shikazai was laughing.

"That was cool! Obachan! How did you do that? Chichi-ue says that Gakayuu is a really powerful technique!" Matsuri rubbed the back of her hair.

"I barely put any chakra into it. I modified it to light things like lamps and stoves around the time you were born, and Ne-chan suckered me into babysitting you all the time." Shikazai laughed again, and Matsuri took the baby.

* * *

"Tadaima!" A voice called. Matsuri looked up from the couch, she was currently feeding Tayoumaru a warm bottle and talking to Shikazai.

Temari strode into the living room, followed by a hunched over, and greatly bothered looking Shikamaru.

"Tou-chan! Mama! Okaeri!" The little girl ran to her father, who bent down to envelop her in a hug. Temari made her way over to the baby and smiled.

"Maa, Matsuri, you look good holding babies, you and Gaara should have another one." Matsuri blushed and gave a small smile.

"M-maybe after the war..." She said. Temari grinned and took the baby. Handing him to Shikamaru, she said,

"Dont you let anything happen to my babies. Or I swear, Shikamaru..." Shikamaru rolled his eyes and said,

"Their my children too, don't forget that." With that he left, offering a lazy wave to Matsuri before he closed the door.

"Now, Matsuri, what was so important that you didnt want the children to be here?" Temari said in a completely neutral voice. The brown haired woman stiffened. Slowly taking out the peice of paper from her yukata, she hesitated before giving it to Temari. Temari snatched the letter and read it, her eyes widening with every word.

When she was done, she sat down on the couch with a dull _thump_. Matsuri snaked her arm around the woman's shoulders.

"Kank..Kankuro... My idiot brother...kami-sama...I hate this. I hate war." Breaking into tears, Matsuri felt her own eyes watering, but held it back for Temari's sake.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Katoki shut them again. They burned as if he had just looked into the sun. They were starting to water, which only made the pain worse. Bringing his hand up to rub his eyes, Katoki sat up and looked around. He was sitting in a wide, but shallow crater. Katoki estimated it to be around 20 feet wide or so, but how wide it was did not concern him at the moment.

He saw Hinata lying on the ground at the edge of the crater. The way she had been laid out suggested that she had been tossed to the side. Katoki scrambled in her direction as fast as he could, and found that his arms were extremely sore, his right hand was of little use to him and seemed to have suffered the most damage.

Crawling over the lip of the crater, he grimaced at the blood stain on Hinata's vest. Her face was pale, and when Katoki put his hand on her cheek, he found it slightly cold.

Katoki deflated a bit, and rested his head on Hinata's chest.

_Ba-thump…_ Katoki's eyes widened as he moved his ear over her heart.

_Ba-thump…_ A Grin started to make it's way across Katoki's mouth. Hinata was alive. Her heartbeat was slow and shallow, but still there. He needed to get her to camp and fast.

Picking her up slowly, he couldn't help but shiver at how cold she was getting. Hugging her closer, he put as much chakra as he could into his legs and sped towards the camp as fast as he possibly could.

* * *

Tsunade adjusted the bright red cap on her head and sighed. She had just finished healing an older shinobi from suna's broken arm, and a string of other problems before that. She needed a cup of sake, badly.

Looking around, the blonde hokage decided that the other medically inclined shinobi were fine without her as it was nearing dusk, and most fighting stopped at night. Tsunade decided that a small jog to the edge of the camp sights was in order, to clear her mind, of course.

Tsunade used chakra to walk on top of the sand, and barely left footprints. Looking around the horizon for any incoming nin, she was vaguely surprised to see a flash of red, and a tremendous amount of chakra that flash was giving off.

Getting herself settled into a fighting stance, she raised her hands, but quickly lowered them when she saw that the red stained indivual was carrying someone in his arms.

"Medic-san!" Tsunade rushed to meet the man and grimaced when she saw the woman he was carrying.

"Please help her… Please, Medic-san!" Tsunade raised her hand and said in a cool and commanding tone,

"Shush. Here, place her on the ground. What happened to her, do you know?" The man nodded his head as he placed the woman down. He then sat back and started to breath hard. After a few moments he said,

"She was run through while protecting me…" Tsunade grimaced at the similarities to the scroll that Hinata had sent her. Tsunade's fingers lit up with a blue glow and she slit through the woman's flak vest and shirt. Opening her shirt, Tsunade was silently glad of the prescence of undergarments, as she really hated perverts. The look on the man's face was one of pure worry though, and Tsunade was slightly glad.

"Mataku…that blade just barely missed her heart. Half an inch to the left would have killed her instantly. Here, can you lend me some chakra? This will require quite a lot. I have to stop the bleeding and keep her heart beating." The man nodded and placed his hands ontop of Tsunade's. Closing his eyes Tsunade felt the warm rush of foreign chakra entering the tenketsus on her hands. It took all of her concentration to use one of her hands to knit together the hole in her lung, and bring the blood that had been slowly suffocating her out of it. Her other hand was moving in a methodical way to keep her heart beating.

Slowly Tsunade saw the bleeding slow, and then stop completely. When the wound was just a shallow cut that marked both her chest and her back, she let go of her ckakra and leaned back. Reaching into her back pouch, she pulled out a small red pill, and stuck it in the woman's mouth. Massaging it down her throat, it wasn't long before the blue tinge in her lips left, and her face regained a little bit of colour. The woman's breathing steadied out and the man nearly melted on spot.

Tsunade's hand lit on fire and she touched his face. The ache that he hadn't even noticed disappeared. Putting a hand to his cheeks he said,

"Why did you heal me? What was wrong?" Tsunade stared at him like he had just eaten a bug.

"Your face was covered in blood. I guess I didn't use enough chakra, though. I'm sorry, but those scars probably wont fade for a while." The man tilted his head but decided to let it pass.

"Is she ok now?" Tsunade pulled out a small roll of gauze from the pouch that hung from her belt and taped two squares of it to Hinata's small gashes.

"She is. Try not to move her much. When analyzing her, I found something rather interesting. Congratulations, by the way." Tsunade stood up and started to walk back towards the camp.

Opening his mouth he called after her. Carefully picking the woman up again, he used his nearly depleted chakra reserves to skim along the top of the sand.

"Boy, what's your name? I assume you come from either Kumo or Kiri...you sure as hell dont look like a sand nin." The man wrinkled his nose.

"K-katoki...we're from Kumogakure." Tsunade paled.

"Katoki? As in, Katoki and Hinata?" It was Katoki's turn to pale, as he realized a second to late, who he was talking too. Katoki waved his hands and said,

"Nono, not Katoki! I said Kadogi!" Tsunade shot him a look and bent over to remove the plain mask that Hinata wore. Lifting it slowly, Tsunade sighed when it was off. Dropping it on the ground, Tsunade ran the back of her hand down Hinata'a face.

"Kami-sama, child. We missed you."

Tsunade looked ahead and saw that the camp was coming up quickly.

"Katoki-san, do you love Hinata?" Katoki looked at Tsunade and nodded. "Congratulations, Katoki-san. You're a father. I managed to save the fetus…it's about 6 weeks or so along." Katoki stopped dead in his tracks.

"W-w-w-w-wha?" He said, his voice in a harsh whisper. Tsunade stepped up to Katoki and took Hinata out of his arms and carried her into a tent. Katoki was still standing in the same spot when she exited the tent. The blonde hokage sighed and carefully pushed the stunned man into the tent she had put Hinata in.

"Go and wash your hair, kid. It's stained with so much blood, I cant even tell what colour it is." Tsunade said, Katoki nodded slowly.

When she left again, she smiled with the pride of ruining another life.

* * *

End Chapter 33 


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

* * *

Hinata felt warm. She knew she was dead and smiled. She would get to see Naruto again. Her mother too. Hinata smiled at how her mother would take looking the same age as her eldest daughter.

When she opened her eyes it took a few seconds for her eyes to unblur, but upon seeing a sandy coloured roof made of fabric, confusion ripped through her chest. Turning her head to the side, she saw a tall man with bandages covering most of his face and a splint on his right arm. He was staring over her, his eyes glazed over.

"…N-Naruto-kun?" She said. The man's face whipped to meet hers and grimaced. Sadness and anger was all that Hinata could see in his eyes as he reached out his hand. Taking a hold of her own, the man smiled gently and said,

"No…It's Katoki…for now." Suddenly memories of fighting and being stabbed slammed Hinata full force. Curling up she started to sob and clutch her chest.

"Hinata-chan…Tsunade-sama said that you need to calm down…too much stress can be bad for the…For you." Hinata looked up at Katoki and blushed.

"G-gomen…Katoki-kun…" Katoki just smiled and hugged her awkwardly with his injured arm.

"Oh! Your arm! Your face! What happened?" Katoki shrugged.

"I dunno, I dont remember...Saa...Do you remember what happened at least?" Hinata nodded slowly, rubbing her chest carefully. Katoki looked to the side and said,

"Er, Hinata..." Hinata looked up, confused at the lack of suffix.

"Ee?" She said, her mouth suddenly dry. Katoki shifted his arms, resting the splinted one on the bandaged one and said,

"Tsunade-sama knows. I didnt recognize her as a nurse as she was wearing the standard uniform, and she healed you." Hinata paled and Katoki watched with wide eyes as Hinata's white eyes rolled up in her head, and she fell backwards, cracking her head on the metal bar that made a small headboard. Katoki jumped to his feet and reached over to help, but his right arm being in a cast made it extremely difficult.

"Ahh! Someone help, she hit her head really hard!" he called, and a short lady with aquamarine hair scurried over.

"What did you say?" Katoki looked over his shoulder at her and said,

"She fainted and cracked her head on the bar!" The woman nodded and looked at Hinata. She tilted the Hyuuga's head to the side and said,

"No worries. She might have a bump for a few days, but she's fine." Katoki breathed a sigh of relief and sat back, wincing when his right arm smacked the bed rail.

* * *

Sasami groaned. She was not fully awake yet, but she was aware that she _hurt_. She felt as if she had been beaten with a sack of potatoes. Rolling over, she moaned again as she rolled onto something with a corner. Slowly opening her eyes, her pupils widened so fast it hurt.

Her breath catching in her throat, Sasami felt panic start to embrace her. It was dark, very dark. She could vaguely hear the slight breathing of someone, but it was so quiet, she wasn't sure if she was imagining it or not.

Struggling to sit up, Sasami felt something warm on her stomach and reached to touch it. Her fingers make a squishing noise and her nose was immediatly filled with the scent of blood. Turning her head, she coughed quietly. Feeling her stomach, she deduced that it was not her blood, which made her wonder even more.

"H...Hello? Is anyone here?" She said, her voice sounding small and pitiful in the darkness of where ever she was.

"Me. Are you awake now, one-san?" Sasami swiveled her head and body around in the direction of the small voice.

"I am...where are you? Are we in a cell?" Sasami heard a small swishing, and nearly screamed when something touched her.

"We are in the same cell...there are 4 of us here...only we are awake though. That boy they brought in with you looks pretty beat up...you dont look so good yourself mind you." the voice said. Sasami frowned.

"Who are you, little boy...hey, how can you see what I look like? It's pitch black in here." Sasami heard the boy grind his teeth before saying in a small tight voice.

"I'm Doumeki...and I'm not a boy! I'm a girl!" Sasami blushed, but she was glad no one could see it.

"Gomen, it's too dark for me to tell..." The girl pulled on Sasami's hand and brought it to her eyes. She placed Sasami's fingertips on her eyelids and said,

"I have a doujutsu...It's called the Kohakugan. It lets me see in the dark as if it were day. Usually I have to have at least a tiny bit of light...so it's fairly dark right now, even with my kohakugan. But one-san, you are covered in bruises, are you ok?" Sasami winced when her hands dropped.

"I hurt everywhere...Should we try and wake everyone? You said there were four of us, and if Raiden was brought in here, I havent met the 4th one yet...what does he look like?" Doumeki shrugged ((not that Sasami saw)) and said quietly,

"I dont care. The last one is a boy...he looks your age-ish. He was here before me, but I dont think he likes me very much. He doesnt talk much ether. Erm, you can wake them if you want to...would you like me to point you in the right direction, one-san?" Sasami nodded, and Doumeki grabbed her arm, and pointed it to where the last person was sleeping.

Sasami slowly made her way on all fours, across the cell. It was larger than she had thought, and it took alot longer than she had expected to make her way to the other wall. She touched the wall with uncertain fingers, and was disapointed to find them as smooth as the floor.

_Clang!_ The noise bounced off the walls and echoed throughout the room. Light filled the chamber, and she and Doumeki made strangled noises as light filled their vision. To her left, she saw a boy sitting against the wall jolt awake, his silver hair gathered in a messy ponytail at the nape of his neck. Orange goggles covered most of the area around his eyes, but as impressive as they might have been, they bore a large crack across the glass, and the silver edging was scuffed.

"Alright kiddies. It's going to be time soon. She's gonna pop any day now, and each one of you takes a good two days to extract. Be good and you wont end up like windy..." A voice said from the blinding light. Sasami didnt recognize it, but Doumeki flinched.

"L-let us go! What have we done to you people!" Sasami yelled, her voice sounding much more confident than what she actually felt. The voice laughed and said,

"Pshaw. I spent hours hiding in a hole waiting for the mizukage's great neice to wander into her gardens alone, I dont think I will be letting any of you go. But I can tell you one thing...You are all going to die." Sasami felt the person smile. The air had become thick, and Doumeki started to shake. Raiden moaned and put his hands over his head.

"You, the earth boy, you're next. Let's go." The voice said. The boy with the silver hair shifted his head towards the voice, but didnt get a chance to do anything as all of a sudden, the figure at the door was standing in front of him, her hand around his neck, and his feet dangling an inch off the ground.

The boy choked and struggled, but the woman, as Sasami could partially see now, just laughed and swung her brown-ish purple hair. Dropping the boy to his feet, she dragged him by the collar out of the door, slamming it shut. The last thing that Sasami saw before the door cut off all light, was Doumeki's amber eyes shining with tears, bruises mottled the dark skin on her face and neck.

* * *

Hiashi mindlessly walked towards the tent that Tsunade said held the unconcious body of his eldest daughter. She had told him to apologize, and then leave. The two ANBU guards that Gaara had assigned to him looked at him through their stoic masks. 

Pushing the flap out of his way, he was slightly surprised at the size of the tents, but also that they were less than half empty. He quickly spotted the golden mop of hair that Tsunade had told him to look for, and made his way over. The man was resting his head near Hinata's knees, his eyes closed, and his face nearly completely covered in bandages. Hiashi gave a quick smile and turned his attention to the indigo haired woman.

Reaching out he stroked her cheek and felt like crying.

"I'm so sorry, Hinata..." Looking at her neck, he saw bandages and activated his byakugan. He saw the internal scarring and winced. Looking lower, his face jumped, and the ANBU guards twitched. He released his byakugan and smiled widely.

"Ah...congratulations, my dear... Too bad I will never get to see my grandchild." Slowly forming his hands into a series of seals, Hiashi called upon a small amount of chakra. Ending with the ushi seal, the palm of his hand started to glow and he pulled down the covers to expose her bare stomach. Placing his hand on her stomach, the shorter of the ANBU blocked the taller one from stopping Hiashi.

"My last gift, Hinata, just for you..." The glow stopped, and Hinata moaned slightly. Hiashi took his hand away, and admired his work.

A small water lily with the kanji for 'congratulations' in the middle glowed slightly blue above Hinata's hip. The shorter ANBU spoke up and said,

"What is that? What did you do?" Hiashi looked at the fading lily and said,

"It's a special marking, almost like a tattoo. Her mother developed it with her grandmother as a teenager. No matter how old it gets, it wont fade, and I used the kanji to implant a small bit of my chakra that will slowly implant itself into her unborn child, massaging the child's chakra system once it's developed, until the child is born. That way this babe will have a large chakra capacity...well, more so than it's peers, if anything. It's all I can do for trying to kill the babe's brother...I hope she finds it in her heart to forgive me somewhat." The taller ANBU shook his head, but the shorter one just gave a curt nod.

"Alright, you have to return to your cell now. Let's go." Hiashi nodded, and replaced the blanket, quickly kissing Hinata's brow. He softly patted Katoki's shoulder and smiled again. Katoki stirred, but he didn't wake.

* * *

Hinata huffed, but sat down. She had been stuck for almost a week in this dreaded building. Tsunade placed her under house arrest. Rubbing the scabbed cut on her chest, the one of her back started to itch.

She could hear Matsuri making tea in the kitchen of her house, and Hinata was only slightly glad that she was being made to stay with Gaara and his family. Huffing again, she rubbed her stomach and the odd tattoo on her hip. Not for the first time, she wondered what it meant, and where it had come from. Standing, Hinata left her room to find Katoki.

Katoki sat on the floor infront of the low window in his small room. The room was located at the end of a rather long hall in Gaara's house, and although he was grateful that the kazekage was so generous, he knew that Hinata, as well as himself, just wanted some privacy.

_"Hinata and Katoki. You are both under house arrest. Hinata, I'm not letting you escape our lives again, you mean too much to us. You will be staying at Gaara's house, and untill Katoki's wounds have been fully healed, or the war ends, you shall stay there. Matsuri and myself will escort you around the village every saturday. Neither of you are in any condition to be fighting...especially you Hinata." Hinata looked bewildered, and looked at Katoki, who was pale._

_"Especially me? What? Why?" Tsunade looked slightly smug, but Katoki groaned, rubbing his splinted arm with his bandaged one._

_"Hinata-chan...do you remember that night, when you pushed me down the stairs?" Hinata flushed and Tsunade nearly laughed._

_"Ee...I do...kinda..." Katoki looked away and said, red marring his face horribly._

_"Er...umm...remember what you asked the next day?" Hinata's face remained red, and she looked down._

_"Y-yea...I'm sorry for assuming that..." Katoki shook his head, and Tsunade let out a soft giggle, she couldnt take it anymore, she felt like exploding._

_"Hinata! Katoki knocked you up! Congrats! Kouden's a big brother!" Hinata looked at Tsunade outburst, and Katoki slapped his hand to his face. Hinata's face went from lobster red to pale white, to sickly green._

_"W-what...?"_

Katoki sighed and twiddled with his necklace. Running a finger over the smooth green stone, he sighed again.

Hearing a faint click, he shoved the necklace under his shirt and turned to face the intruder.

"Hinata-chan...How are you feeling?" Hinata sighed and sat down beside Katoki.

"I feel worried." Katoki rested his head on hers and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"I'm really sorry...I didnt want for this to happen..." Hinata looked up at him and said, carefully,

"Dont be sorry...I'm not worried about that...Although I must admit that I dont think I'm quite ready for another child, I am excited...No, I'm worried about my other little one...I havent heard from him in a long time...Do you think he's ok?" Katoki grinned at her, and Hinata couldnt help but smile.

"He's with Jiraiya-sama...I'm sure he's ok." Hinata kept her smile, but Katoki saw the doubt in her eyes. Standing up, He pulled the dark haired Hyuuga to her feet and tugged her out of his room. Hinata questioned him, but he just looked back and smiled so hard his eyes closed. Hinata looked away, and Katoki's smiled dropped a bit.

At the end of the hall, Katoki stopped and Matsuri, now drinking the tea that she had been making, looked at them curiously.

"Matsuri-san...do you think you can escort us to the records room? Hinata wants to make sure her son isn't on the lists." Matsuri took another sip of her tea before setting the small cup down with a quiet _chink_.

"Alright. But only if you promise not to run off." Katoki nodded quickly, and Matsuri smiled.

"This is it!" Matsuri exclaimed as she brushed a lock of brown hair out of her eyes. Hinata shrank back, slightly winded from walking the long and winding corridors. Katoki looked in the room and sighed. There were piles of paper everywhere. Some piles reaching 6 or more feet. Matsuri walked over to a filing cabinet and said,

"Lucky for you, we have several attendants working in here. They sort things as they get them...Let's see, Hyuuga, right?" Hinata nodded, but the sandy brown haired woman didnt look back. Her face lightened up as she pulled out a file.

"Aha! Here, this is the file on all Hyuuga's registered for the war. Their status would be inside here." She said, as she handed Hinata the manilla file. Hinata looked at hesitantly. It was a good inch thick. Opening it, she saw a young girl, Hyuuga Akiko...Not recognizing her, Hinata moved on.

"Hanabi-chan...She's fighting too..." Katoki looked over her shoulder and at the picture.

"That's your little sister? She doesnt look much like you..." Hinata shook her head and turned the page. Instantly her anger rose before she could control it. Her hands were shaking and Katoki took the file from her.

"Is this your father? You look nothing like him, save your eyes. But then again, your eyes look like the byakugan, so you're all set. Mmm, Your sister looks a bit like him." Katoki ignored the small and sudden blossum of anxiety pop into his chest as he looked at Hinata. Her hands had stopped shaking, and she had a small smile on.

"Hanabi-chan used to brag when she was just starting academy, that she was the better sister, because she looked more like Otou-sama." Katoki dropped his grin again and turned the page. His heart instantly sunk to his feet. Hinata must have noticed the look on his face because she took a step closer.

"Katoki-kun? Is anything wrong? Katoki-kun?" Katoki was pale, and his blue eyes were wide. Hinata reached for the folder, but Katoki tried to move it away. Hinata used a small string of chakra to pluck the page out of the folder.

"Hinata-chan...dont-"

"K-koud-den..." Katoki winced at the quiet whimper that escaped her lips. It overpowered everything in the room, even Matsuri looked up from her busy scanning of the files. Hinata dropped the page and sank to her knees. Katoki carefully placed the folder onto the floor behind him, and sank slowly to his knees, being careful of his still sore arms. He placed a comforting hand on Hinata's arm and she looked up. Sucking in his breath, he had to force himself to stare into her eyes. They were devoid of any emotion...dead almost.

Reaching out to caress her face, he sucked in again when she flinched.

"Hinata, let's go back...You need to eat, and then to sleep. Think of the baby..." Hinata looked at him again with her dead eyes.

"I...I d-didnt wan-nt t-to rep-place K-koud-den...He's a-all I h-have left of N-naru-to..." Katoki looked away from her eyes and pulled her up, his eyes went back to the folder on the desk. He was glad that Hinata hadn't seen the next name. Giving a silent prayer for Neji, he pulle Hinata towards the door. Walking back to Gaara's house, Hinata didnt say a single word until a small child ran by laughing. Hinata started to sob, and Katoki carried her the rest of the way back.

* * *

Scratching at his face, Kouden opened his pale eyes when his fingers hit bandages instead of skin. Sitting up, Kouden gasped.

"Ahh, gaki. You're awake." Kouden turned his head to the side, and saw Jiraiya sitting by the window of the small cabin. Noticing the broken bottles and furniture littered everywhere, he said, slowly,

"Nnn...Where am I? What happened?" Jiraiya looked back out the window. It was midday, or late morning, Kouden decided. Thick and lush trees scraped against the side of window. Kouden found this odd, but couldnt think why.

"We are in the rain village right now...A good friend of mine had a small hut in the middle of nowhere he said I could use while we...hide. And gaki, you were hurt pretty bad. Not as bad as your friend there...I almost thought you two were goners, but luckily I happened to run into an old aquantance..."

_Jiraiya walked slowly. He was exhausted. He had just transported two near dead bodies into a small cabin, and now he was seeking medical help. He was fairly sure that he was in Amegakure...but he was so tired..._

_Ignoring the various men's clubs was hard, but at the moment only one thing could occupy his mind. Bumping into a middle aged woman, he apologized, and started to walk away when he felt a tug on his sleeve._

_"...Yes? Can I help yo-" _SLAP_. Jiraiya took a step back and raised a tired arm to touch his cheek. Glancing at the woman, his face paled and he waved his hands._

_"Ah-ah! Yukari-chan! Ah...It's been a while..." the so called Yukari tossed her long black hair. Grey wings appeared at her temples, but she was still immensly handsome. Yukari glared at the tall man and said, sticking a finger at him, _

_"You. You left me alone!" Jiraiya tried to give a tight laugh, but Yukari's glare made his throat freeze. Massaging it, he said, rather slowly, _

_"Yukari-chan...You knew I was just staying for a week...I was on a mission..."_

_"You left me alone, WITH YOUR CHILD!" She yelled. Jiraiya paled. People on the streets were looking at them now, and Jiraiya ushered her off to an abandoned alleyway. Towering over her had no effect, but he tried anyway._

_"What...?" He said, his voice tight and small. Yukari puffed her cheek out and said, _

_"I'm probably not the first one ether. I bet you have tons of kids, if you ever bothered to keep in touch." Jiraiya paled even more at this and said quickly, _

_"Yukari-chan-"  
_

_"Yukari, or Yukari-san." Jiraiya sighed._

_"Yukari, it was a one night stand..." Yukari's face softened a bit and she said, _

_"You never wrote back. I heard you were in the village once, and you didnt even stop by..." Jiraiya sucked in his breath and said, _

_"I tried...I didn't remember where you had lived..." Yukari blushed and she looked at the ground._

_"Oh...a-ano...Why are you here now?" Jiraiya almost sighed in relief as the topic changed._

_"That's right, I need a medic...I dont care if they are a shinobi, or a midwife...I just need it now. I have two kids that will die if they get some attention right now..." Yukari's eyes widened and she quickly said, _

_"Natsuki-chan! She's a high class medic-nin here...She would be your daughter, by the way." Jiraiya didnt miss the glare she gave him and winced._

_Yukari led him towards a large building whose sign said, in large glowing red letters, 'hospital'. Walking inside, a few people nodded their heads at her, and stared at Jiraiya. Every door that Jiraiya passed, he felt more and more nervous; and when Yukari finally stopped, and turned into a room, the frog sennin could have screamed with tension._

_Peering around the corner, he saw a tall woman in her mid twenties. Her snow white hair was bound up in a fancy braided bun, and she wore a plain pair of blue scrubs. She was talking to a young boy, smiling the entire time. Jiraiya found himself starting to admire her, but reminded himself of their relation._

_"Unfortunatly for me, she completely resembles you. She's even popular with the boys. Something I hoped was not hereditary." Jiraiya chuckled, which caugh the attention of Natsuki. Spotting her mother, she grinned widely and ruffled the boys hair, befire slipping him a peice of candy._

_"Okaa-chan! What brings you here...Who is this?" Yukari hesitated but said, _

_"This man...well, Natsumi-chan, meet Jiraiya. Your father." Natsumi dropped her clipboard and her mouth gaped open. Yukari picked the board up and shook her daughter's shoulders._

_"Jiraiya needs your help. He has two kids that are near death, apparently..." Natsumi turned her head towards her mother, still looking at Jiraiya, who was becoming more and more uncomfortable._

_"Are they his? Are they my siblings?" Jiraiya's face reddened. _

_"No! They are more certainly not! Now, girl, are you gonna help me or not? One of them has strong connections, and all three of them would kill me if they ever saw me." Natsumi stuck a hip out and said, _

_"So you want me to save them, to save your ass?" Jiraiya shook his head and said, _

_"One of them is my apprentice, son of my former apprentice, legacy of my first apprentice. All three were stupid loud blondes, too. Just my luck." Natsumi looked at her mother, who was in turn gazing at her, before nodding. Jiraiya drooped with releif as she packed her bag full of medicine supplies._

Kouden looked over and saw Shiro, still asleep, but covered with bandages. Scratching his head, Kouden yawned and winced when his hand rubbed his nose.

"Ita...What happened to me? I cant remember anything...erm...I think the last thing I remember is sticking my tongue out at Shiro-teme..." Jiraiya sighed and said,

"Gaki, you've been out for a good three weeks. Shiro will be up soon, maybe a few more days. You both were cut up pretty bad. I'm surprised you woke up this early...you were hit pretty hard in the head. No, stop! Dont touch the bandages. If that cut doesnt heal, Tsunade's going to _kill_ me." Kouden frowned. He opened his mouth to talk when the bamboo flap that served as a door flung open, and a pretty young woman with snow white hair sauntered into the room.

She handed Jiraiya a bag and smiled at him. Jiraiya smiled back, but Kouden saw a bit of uneasyness behind it.

"Ah! You're awake! How's your head?" Kouden looked up at the lady, and said quietly,

"It hurts, but not much though. Tolerable, compared to the rest of me." The lady nodded and Kouden continued.

"Ano...can I ask who you are, ne-chan?" The woman smiled and said,

"Natsumi. I'm Jiraiya's daughter, and your medic. Sorry about that, I didnt have enough chakra to mend much more than your insides. Chichi-ue didn't want you to scar, so you are going to have to heal the old fashioned way." Kouden shot a glare at Jiraiya, but he was immensely surprised to hear that she was his daughter. Jiraiya looked embarrassed. Kouden carefully laid back and started to fret about his mother. Jiraiya seemed to read his thoughts and said,

"Dont worry, Kouden. Hinata-san is safe and well. I can tell." Kouden sighed, and Natsumi started to check over Shiro.

* * *

End Chapter 34 


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

* * *

Natsumi placed her small pack down beside the blonde boy and gently pulled his chin towards her. Kouden looked up at her, a slight grimace on his face. Natsumi looked him in the eyes, and cocked her jaw.

"Hmm. I've never seen eyes like this. Are you blind?" Kouden blinked and removed his head from her hand.

"No. I have the byakugan. Okaa-san was a Hyuuga." Natumi raised her eyebrows in slight admiration and pulled his chin towards her again. Slowly removing the bandages that cross his face and cheeks, she said,

"Hmm. Intresting. Never heard of the Hyuuga. Ahh...this cut will leave a scar...a really obvious one too..."

Jiraiya winced. Natumi took a small plastic bag of herbs out and carefully snatched a single leaf out. Kouden studied it's fuzzy textured before Natsumi crushed it with her hands, and squeezed the juice onto some new bandages. Placing the slightly damp bandage back on Kouden's face, he hissed, but Natsumi just slapped his hands away. Tying the bandages tightly at the back of his head, she sat back and Jiraiya said,

"Will that help? What would make the scar least visable?" Sitting back, Natsumi tossed her loose white hair over her shoulder and pursed her heavily painted red lips.

"Mmm...That will help some. When I think the scarring has gone down as much as it can, I will try to heal the scar tissue. Why is it so important, Tou-san?" Jiraiya paused at 'tou-san' but ignored it.

"Dear Natsumi-chan. If his 'baa-sama' as he calls her, sees this scar, she will kill me for letting a weapon touch her beloved Kouden." Kouden chuckled, but winced, a few of his ribs were still broken and bruised.

"Who's this old woman that you are so afraid of? You're a densetsu sannin, aren't you?" A small grin tugged te corners of Jiraiya's lips when he heard the small amount of pride Natsumi inserted into those words.

"The other surviving half. Tsunade-hime, Godaime Hokage, self appointed obaa-san of Kouden." Natsumi sucked her breath in.

"I've heard of her. Okaa-chan said that a few years before I was born, she came to Amegakure and lost alot of money to our village leader. She also said that to get away, she tried to disguise herself as a little girl, but got caught, and ended up destroying the leader's castle with one punch." Jiraiya gave a hearty laugh.

"That's my Tsunade-hime." Kouden grinned widely and made his cheeks itch. Looking over at Shiro, he said,

"One-chan...When is Shiro going to wake up? I've been awake almost a week, I think, and Ero-sennin said that I had been out for three weeks...Ero-sennin, what did happen by the way? You never told me." Jiraira shook his head.

"Shiro-kun should wake up any day...But I'de rather him not. His injuries are still healing, and people heal faster when we sleep. You heal faster than normal, Kouden-kun. It's quite amazing." Kouden looked at Jiraiya and said,

"Naruto could heal near instantly. He was impaled through his lung once, so he told me, and healed it within seconds." Both Natsumi and Kouden looked at Jiraiya with looks of awe on his face.

"Kekkai genkai?" Natsumi said, Jiraiya shook his head.

"I will tell you when you are older." Both Kouden and Natsumi pouted.

* * *

Hinata sighed and rubbed her chest. The cut had finally healed, leaving two thin white scars, where the blade had entered and left. Sitting up, she lifted the side of her thick jacket and stared at the tattoo. Tsunade had done the pleasure of analyzing it and said that it contained Hiashi's chakra.

_"Well?" Hinata said after Tsunade finished probing her tattoo. Tsunade stood up straight, towering over Hinata, and said thoughtfully._

_"It's a special mark...It has a small well of chakra in the kanji...But it's constantly swirling. I can tell you one thing for certain, that mark is from Hiashi. I'de recognize his chakra anywhere. I'll have to ask him later. I think he's still in the containment cells. Judging from the kanji he inscribed, I think he knows about your child." Hinata sighed. She knew that Hiashi had put the tattoo there. It took her a few days, but she remembered the grating feeling of his chakra from her childhood._

_"How are you doing?" Tsunade said, when Hinata sighed. Hinata looked up and smiled._

_"Fine, fine...As fine as I can be, I suppose." Tsunade sighed and put an comforting arm around Hinata._

_"It's always hard...He was like a grandson to me. It seems you share my luck, Hinata." Hinata looked upa t Tsunade with tired eyes._

_"What do you mean?" Tsunade sighed._

_"I lost my brother, Nawaki a long time ago. He looked a bit like Naruto, eh. I lost my boyfriend Dan...You know, we were planning on eloping in a near city just a week before... And then, I lost Naruto, and you in the same day. That one hurt the most I think. Naruto was the first person to wear my necklace without dying...But now, when I finally thought that I had a peice of that boy back in my hands...How do you bear this, Hinata?" Hinata was silent, but tears welled up in her pale eyes. _

_"A-ano...I think, I had better go to Katoki-kun..." Hinata said after a minute. Tsunade nodded and removed her arm from the woman's shoulders._

_"Hinata, do you love Katoki-san?" Hinata lowered her head, and nodded slightly. "You know, you aren't dishonouring Naruto...He'd want you to be happy. Just remember that, and try to live out the rest of your days in peace."_

_Hinata had started to sob quietly as she left the room. Tsunade reached for the nearest sake bottle and drained it without a second thought, smacking her lips when the bottle emptied._

"Hinata-chan?" Hinata looked up at the door of the room she was staying at in Gaara's house. Quickly wiping her eyes, she sat up when Katoki sat on her bed. The cast had been taken off of his arm, but but they were both still bandaged. The bandages on his face were removed, and Tsunade was displeased at the scarring. Katoki neglected to tell her that they were there in the first place.

"Is everything ok?" He said, leaning over her, his weight on his left arm. Hinata gave a small giggle as strands of his blonde hair tickled her nose.

"You need a hair cut. I'll give you one tonight. Ok?" Katoki lowered his head more and rubbed his hair against her face, causing Hinata to laugh even more. Raising his head, Katoki quickly pecked Hinata on the lips, and she turned beat red, but still laughing. Katoki ran his fingers over her stomach and Hinata started to giggle again.

"Ticklish? The mighty Hyuuga is ticklish?" Hinata shook her head, but laughed again when Katoki softly scratched her side with his fingers. She turned beat red again when Katoki leaned in for a kiss, but this time, in a desparate attempt to make him stop, she grabbed the back of his head and kept the kiss going. Katoki flushed a bit at this, but stopped tickling Hinata, opting instead to wrap his arms around her waist instead. Hinata sighed with releif, and closed her eyes. Not wanting the good feeling to stop, she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and held the blonde close_  
_

* * *

_Knock knock._ Hinata groaned and rolled over. Rolling into Katoki she opened her eyes slowly.

"Hinata-san? Are you in there?" Hinata sat up and said groggily.

"Y-yea...Who's asking?"

"Matsuri, you have a visitor..." Hinata looked down and saw that she lacked a top. Blushing furiously, she looked back at Katoki and her eyes were drawn to the large scar that splayed accross his bare chest.

"A-ano...I will be out in a second...Please ask them to wait...Matsuri-san..." She heard Matsuri leave the doorway and quickly scrambled out of the covers. She found a slightly rumpled black body suit and tugged it on.

Hinata sighed as she looked down at her outfit. Grabbing her large hoodie, she pulled it on, not bothering to undo the zipper. Taking an elastic, she quickly tied her hair up. Patting down the wrinkles on her coat, she paused to stare at Katoki's scar again before leaving the room.

"Ah...Hinata... It's been a while..." Hinata blushed at her visitor and bowed deeply.

"A-ano...Gomen nasai for fooling you last time we met, Sakura-san..." Sakura smiled prettily and waved her hand. She walked over to Hinata and enveloped her in a hug. Hinata smiled a little bit and hugged back.

"I missed you alot Hinata...and please, call me Sakura. How many times have I had to tell you." Hinata gave a short laugh, and Sakura followed suit.

Matsuri had made tea, and the three women sat in the sunken sitting room chatting quietly.

"A baby? Are you really? Congratulations!" Sakura exclaimed. Hinata blushed a bit.

"How far along are you?" Matsuri asked and Hinata said,

"I think...about 2 months now... It's both a blessing and a burden though..." Sakura leaned forward.

"Oh? Why is that?" Hinata glanced towards the room that held Katoki and said,

"I can't fight in the war anymore. That's both a blessing and a burden." Matsuri nodded and sipped her tea. Sakura leaned back and gave a large smile.

"Ne, Hinata? Where's Kouden? Osshi-kun was asking about him at home, same with Sasami-chan? Have you seen or heard from them recently?" Matsuri sucked her breath in and reached out towards Hinata. Hinata waved the hand away, and Sakura sat staring cluelessly at them.

"What? Did I say something?" Hinata looked up at Sakura, her pale eyes looked tired and emotionless. Sakura was taken aback.

"K..Kouden..." Hinata said, her voice choked. Matsuri continued for her.

"Kouden...He is a true hero of the village." Sakura's eyes widened and her mouth dropped. They quickly teared up and she scooted over and gave Hinata a large hug.

"I'm so sorry I didnt know...O kami-sama...He was all we had left of Naruto... How is Sasuke going to act...Does that mean that Shiro-kun is too? Weren't they travelling together? Oh kami-sama..." Hinata sniffled and said,

"It's fine...He was a shinobi. We must learn to face the consequences. But I talked to Tsunade yesturday...she seems to be taking this harder than I am...Sakura...I think maybe you should comfort her." Sakura leaned back.

"Haa... I've done my share of comforting this week. Did you know? Gai-sensei was killed..."

_Sakura heard a small rustle behind her. Smirking she said, _

_"Gaara-san...What brings you to the medical tents?" Gaara looked at the pile of gauze she was picking up off the floor, and directed his sand to finish the job. Sakura nodded a thanks and picked out a small bottle off the small platform of sand. _

_Walking over to a boy who couldnt be more than 12, she pressed the end of the bottle, which turned out to be an immunization, into his arm. The boy grimaced slightly, but after a few minutes, his face regained colour._

_"Are you ok?" Sakura said. The boy's eyes fluttered open. Looking up at Sakura, his eyes focused on the red hat that sat on her pink hair._

_"M-medic-nin?" Sakura nodded. Placing her hand on his forehead, she said, _

_"Your fever has gone done almost all the way. You should be able to get up tomorrow...Tch..sending such a young one into battle..." The boy moved his head away and said, _

_"I'm a jounin! I'm not a boy!" Sakura stood up straight, and the Konoha hiteate that hung loosely around her waist glinted in the lamplight. The boy stared at it and his face went ridgid._

_"K-k-konoha...?" Gaara watched the boy struggle, but the leather bonds on his arms and legs kept him still_

_"You are a prisoner of war...Tomorrow, you will be taken to a camp, and when the war is over...well, let's hope it ends soon." The boy struggled again, but when it was clear to him that he wasn't going anywhere, he started to cry. Sakura soothed his hair back, and turned to Gaara._

_"Well, my shift was done when he woke up... Did you wa-" _THUNK!!_  
_

_"Ahh! Someone! Help!" A voice yelled from outside. Sakura rushed out the tent and almost fainted at what she saw._

_Rock Lee, covered in blood, and holding Maito Gai's body tightly. Lee's student, Fai, was holding his sensei up._

_"Lee-san! Fai-kun!" Sakura yelled. Fai looked up and almost cried._

_"S-sakura-sama!! G-gai-sensei...I think...uuu...Please, help Lee-sensei!" Sakura nodded and skidded to a stop in front of Gai. Her hands lit up in an intense green glow and she placed her hands on Gai's chest. Her heart thudded in her throat as she shook her head slowly. Fai started to wail, but a firmhand on his shoulder courtesy Gaara, made him quiet down to a slow sob. Moving to Lee, Sakura put her hands on his and tried to move them, but Lee had a firm grip._

_"Lee-san...you need to let go...Gai-sensei is dead..." Lee didnt say anything, but instead held Gai tighter. The wounds that ran down his face and abdomen started to bleed harder. Sakura started to worry and tugged on his arm._

_"Lee-san...I need to treat you...Let go of Gai-sensei!" Lee looked up into Sakura's emerald eyes and Sakura's heart missed a beat. The anger made her want to break out into a sweat._

_"Lee! I need to treat you, or you are going to die, think of Fai-kun!" Lee's eyes softened, and he slowly let go of Gai. Gaara's sand formed a small cloud for him, and kept his body off the ground. Sakura's hands touched Lee's arm and she shuddered. Lee had numerous, too many to count, lacerations on his body. All ranging from shallow to chipping the bone. His lower spine was cracked, and his right leg and left arm were both almost dust. She didnt know how he had managed to transport Gai here, let alone himself._

_Sakura set about knitting together the cracked vertabrae, which came quite easily and quickly. She sighed when she started to work on his leg. A quick mental count told her she had somewhere around 30 bone fragments to peices together._

_"How are you, Sakura-san?" Gaara asked. Sakura turned slightly and wiped the sweat from her face._

_"I'm getting low on chakra...but I'm almost...no, I'm done. I losely peiced together the bones in his arm and leg...and I managed to stop most of the bleeding. The rest is nothing bandages can't take care of. Fai-kun, are you hurt anywhere?" Fai was still trembling when he held out his hand. The bandaged that he usually had wrapped around it was stained heavily with red._

_"Ah! Fai-kun! Why didn't you show me before! You've lost alot of blood!" Fai drew back slightly, but welcomed the cooling feeling of his wound healing. When Sakura was done, the skin was still raw, but intact. Fai gazed at the back of his left hand. A large scar ran to his wrist from his pinky finger. Or rather, where his pinky finger used to be. All that was left was a small stub that wiggled slightly when he tried to move it. The feeling of bile started to rise in his throat, and he looked away._

"Oh...kami-sama...I hate war." Hinata said, her hand over her heart. Matsuri nodded. A loud thump made the three women turn their heads towards the back of the living room.

"H-hinata-chan? Why are you up so...early...aa..." Hinata turned a deathly white before colour exploded into her face. Sakura's face was just as red, but a greedy smiled was plastered accross her face. Matsuri was red, but mostly due to her laughing.

Katoki turned back into his room and slammed the door. His face was nearly as red as Hinata's.

"Kuso! This isn't Kumo, Katoki! You cannot be walking around in the nude!" Meanwhile, Hinata was having trouble breathing.

"Well. Hinata, your...er...man, is quite the...man." An evil grin graced the pink haired woman's face. Hinata shot a death glare at her friend before squeaking out,

"Aren't you married?" Sakura laughed and said,

"Happily. Are you going to get? I mean, you're bearing his children..." Matsuri stopped laughing, and Hinata looked down.

"...I dont know...I dont think I'm ready." Sakura sighed.

"Hinata...Naruto has been dead for almost 16 years. It doesn't have to be hard, I mean, pick a night, and do it in secret, like me and Sasuke-kun!" Hinata blushed again, but was saved from saying anything when Katoki re-entered the room, fully clothed. He laughed nervously as he slipped in beside Hinata.

"Saa...Hello ladies. I hope you enjoyed the show." Matsuri burst out laughing, and Sakura said,

"Oh, we did. Especially Hinata. I'm almost jealous that Hinata get's to tap that whenever she wants." Hinata groaned and dug her face into her hands. Katoki laughed.

* * *

Sasami shivered. It was still pitch black, and all she could hear were the steady breathings of Doumeki. The girl had exhausted herself using that odd doujustu of hers. Something about it rang a bell in the pink haired girl's head, but she was far too scared to think about it. 

That woman came back, and took Raiden away. He tried to use his special jutsu on her, but something was stopping their flow of chakra, and all he could do was give her a static shock. The woman had laughed before bashing his head in. Sasami remembered the look on Doumeki's face as she tried to hide in Sasami's chest.

Sasami looked down. She couldnt see anything, but she could imagine what the girl's face must look like while she slept. Softly running her hand down Doumeki's hair, she sighed.

"Aniki...Kouden-kun...anyone..."

* * *

A boy with soft blonde hair and honey brown eyes sneezed. A lock clicked open at the sturdy door, and Keii sat up from his place on the bed. He had been stuck in this room for almost three weeks.

"Keii...Pack your bags." A voice called. Keii narrowed his eyes.

"Katoki-sensei?" Katoki slid in the room. Keii sucked his breath in and eyed Katoki's arms.

"Sensei? What happened?" Katoki shook his head.

"I'll tell you on the way to Yondaime-sama's." Keii's head perked up.

"Is the war over?" Katoki shook his head again and said,

"It's not. I'm stealing away, me and Hinata-chan are. The escort isn't going to come anytime soon, and nor is the war going to end soon. You need to come with us. We need to get back to Kumo as soon as possible, and neither of us can fight at our fullest right now." Keii opened his mouth ask another question but Katoki cut him off with a raised hand.

"Pack your bags, and at midnight, be ready to get going, wear dark brown, if you have any." Keii nodded.

* * *

Midnight couldn't have come fast enough, and the next thing Keii knew, he was flying across the sand dunes. Hinata soared into veiw to his left, slightly behind, and Katoki was on the other side of her.

"Katoki-sensei! Can you tell me how you got injured now?" Katoki looked at the boy, and then at Hinata.

"I ... I dont remember. But I was fighting and I woke up and both my arms were broken, my right arm was almost shattered." Keii looked horrified.

"How come Hinata-san cannot fight at her full? Were you injured as well?" Keii asked formally. Hinata was a bit surprised at his manners, but said quietly, almost unheard above the sound of the wind,

"I was stabbed through the lung..." Keii tripped and almost faced himself on the sand.

"How! How are you still moving around? How long ago?" Hinata blushed and Katoki snapped at Keii.

"Shut up, Keii. We have to keep moving. We can chit-chat later. We need to get a head start." Hinata nodded, and Keii shut up.

* * *

Brushing a stray strand of silver hair out of his eyes, the leader of the organization called Manjuushage paced back and forth down a small hall infront of a plain brown door. The rocky ceilings were dripping water, and the noise was slowly torturing his brain.

A scream of pain ripped through the air, followed by a loud moan. The Leader whipped his head up and stared at the door. His hand reached out to open it, but he curled his fingers back and pursed his lips. He wasn't usually one to take orders, but for the sake of this child, he would do anything.

Another scream tore through the air and the Leader started to mull over his plan of action.

_"Sensei? What's an affinity? I heard some chuunin talking about it today..." A tall man with black hair that fell to his shoulders looked down at the child. He couldn't have been more than 8. His hair was messy and fine. The colour of it, stark white, along with his crimson eyes, made most people think of an albino._

_"Mmm...An affinity is the element that you are naturally able to control easier. Most people are born with one affinity...although when you reach jounin, you are expected to be able to master two." The boy grinned and leaned i closer to his sensei._

_"What affinity are you?" The black haired man kneeled to the ground and placed one hand on the ground. The ground rumbled slightly and a crack appeared. The crack started to leak mud._

_"Earth. But my second affinity, the one that I mastered to become jounin was fire." Holding his other hand up, a small flame flashed in his hand._

_"Waa! Sensei! How did you do that without seals?" The man laughed and ruffled the kid's hair._

_"Practice. And I can still only do that. Now, did that answer your questions?" The boy nodded, but jumped up again._

_"Aa! Sensei! You said most people? And how do you know what element you can use?" The man with black hair sat back and pulled the boy closer._

_"Some people have kekkai genkai. Those people are sometimes born with two affinities...Let's use some examples. Pick a Kage village." The boy pondered for a second and said, _

_"Mmm...Konohagakure? They dont have much information on that city in our books at academy..." The man thought for a few seconds and then said, _

_"There is a shinobi in Konoha... His name is Yamato...well, that's his codename. The files I read didn't say his real name. He has a kekkai genkai that lets him use earth and water. He can combine them together to make plants. The same as our Zetsu, well, before he bacame a missing nin, and joined Akatsuki." The boy nodded and smiled._

_"As for how to find out your element? Erm, here. I probably shouldn't do this, as your genin teacher usually would after you graduate, but oh well, no harm in it." Ruffling into his pockets on his vest, the man pulled out a few peices of paper._

_"You can mold chakra, right? You should have started that in school by now." The boy nodded and said, _

_"Of course I can! I'm 2 years ahead of the other people my age." The teacher smiled and ruffled the boy's white hair again. Holding the paper out, it suddenly crumbled and floated away on the wind. The boy watched in fascination. The man handed him a paper, and the boy held it out in front of him._

_"Ok, you dont have to channel much, just a bit. Go ahead now, try it!" The boy grinned widely and shut his eyes. Channeling chakra to his fingers, he felt it leak into the paper. Opening his eyes, he looked at his teacher quizzically._

_"Sensei?" The black haired man shook his head and took the paper. He looked at it, and it crumbled away. Brushing the dust off of his hand, he handed the boy another paper._

_"Channel more." The boy nodded and channeled even more chakra. Almost enough to pull off a bunshin no jutsu, but the paper remained intact. The boy sat down and said, _

_"What's wrong with me?" The teacher shook his head and said, _

_"Here, let's go to Tsuki-hime. She is better at this stuff than I am." The boy nodded and took his teacher's hand._

Squeezing his fist, the Leader of Manjuushage felt angered. That was the day that he discovered his kekkai genkai, and the day that difficulties began for his road to becoming a shinobi. After asking the jounin who ran the academy, he had found out from his sick mother that his father had a kekkai genkai.

_"Oka-san...you should be resting..." The boy said to a rather plain woman with long and bedraggled black hair. Bags under her eyes showed the long illness she was suffering from. The woman smiled at the boy, but when she made eye contact with him, she turned her head._

_"My son... I suppose I can tell you. I'm not long for this world anyway." The boy remained silent. His mother was the most important person in the world to him, and to hear her talk like this..._

_"Your Otou-san...He looked exactly like you. White hair, red eyes...but you have my nose." She smiled slightly and the boy smiled as well._

_"He had a kekkai genkai of an odd sorts. He said that it was dominent in the male side of the family. But nevermind that...your limit, it causes the user to not be born with an affinity. I heard you talking with your teacher the other day about this... I was not a shinobi, but I married one. I know my stuff." The boy leaned in closer to his mother, half supporting her._

_"Oka-san..." The woman rested her hand on her son's mop of white hair and said, _

_"They might have more information in the library...if not, then maybe when you are older, you can go to a place with a greater library. Maybe, Konoha, or Iwa..." The boy felt his mother started to drop, and he quickly caught her. Moving her to her bed, he sighed as we watched her sleeping figure. He turned to leave when he heard a whisper._

_"Ginkaimu...that's the name of it...he told me once..." The boy turned towards his mother, but she was already sleeping._

_"Silver nothing? What a weird name..."_

"Weird indeed." the leader spoke out loud. He had never been able to have more than average efficiancy with any elemental chakra. He had found most of his information out in the library in Iwa, like his late mother had suggested. The library in Kusa was pitiful.

After a few years of research, he found that because he had no affinity to any element, he was suceptable to foreign elemental chakra. It was sometimes a curse, and sometimes a blessing. Smiling, the leader turned his head towards the room he was paceing infront of when he heard another peircing scream.

His smile grew wider when he heard something he had yearned to hear for the better part of a year.

Pushing the door open, he was assaulted with the smell of blood. Piles and piles of sheets were covered in blood, and the leader almost gagged at the sight. The two midwives that he had hired from his information lines looked at him and shook their heads.

"Sir...Rikuri-sama...I'm afraid she won't make it long. It was along and difficult birth." The leader looked at the Iwa nukenin he had picked up well over a year ago. Her eyes were half open, and her hair plastered to her face. She wore a small smile, but her gaze was focused on the small bundle in her arms. The leader walked over to her and bent down to look at the infant's face.

Rikuri stroked his face, her hand shaking.

"Byakko...I want him named Byakko...as payment for my services to you...Leader-sama." The leader glanced at Rikuri before taking a closer look at the babe.

"Boy or girl?" One of the midwives bowed and said,

"Congratulations, you have a son." The leader nodded and turned back to the boy. The top of his head was covered in a fine silver mist, and when the infant had started to gurgle he caught a glimpse of his eyes. His crimson eyes. The leader smiled again. The boy had his kekkai genkai.

"The wetnurse had better be here soon. I need him cleaned and prepared by tonight." Turning to leave, he heard a groan. Looking back, Rikuri, still holding the infant in her arm, had raised a shaky hand to him.

"...Sir, what about Rikuri-sama?" The leader glanced at Rikuri one more time before turning.

"She had born me a healthy and perfect boy. You say she is dying? Make it painless." With that the leader of Manjuushage left the room, his son, and his dying partner.

* * *

End Chapter 35

(Inconsistancies regarding Kouden and Sasami are fixed now, Thanks Arkaine)


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

* * *

Hinata rubbed her arms. She was shivering, and had been since they crossed the border into the lightening country. Lightning and thunder flashed and banged in an odd orchestra, and the rain pelted down on them like no tomorrow.

Hinata yawned, but resisted the urge to stop jogging. They had taken next to no breaks, and the ones they did never lasted more than an hour. They were jogging on the ground right now, due to Keii running out of chakra. Hinata felt around her reserves, but she wasn't at all surprised to see that she had bare minimum as well.

Glancing at Katoki, she saw weariness in his limbs, but the look of determination in his eyes surprised her. There was something there as well...Worry, Hinata thought. Jogging a little faster, she reached out to touch Katoki's arm.

"K-katoki-kun..." Katoki looked back at her and blinked.

"Yes?" Hinata paused to jump over a tree root.

"Can we stop, I can't stop shivering and we've been running for almost 2 days straight, besides, I don't think Keii-kun has enough chakra to run much farther." Katoki looked at Keii. The honey brown eyed boy was panting, and his eyes were almost closed. Katoki shook his head.

"Hinata-chan...The gate is almost here; can you hang on for two or three more miles? Besides, I can carry Keii if he gives out." Hinata closed her eyes a little and shook her head.

"G-gomen...I was just..." Katoki put his arm around her and said,

"Why are you apologizing? When we get to Kumo, you can rest all you want. I don't think that Yondaime-sama will make us do missions." Hinata shook her head again and said,

"I was worrying about the baby, baka." Katoki grimaced.

"Saa...I forgot...Alright, for ten minutes." Hinata smiled gratefully and stopped running. Keii fell over in an exhausted heap and fell asleep. Katoki took off his cloak and put it around Hinata's slumped shoulders. She welcomed the extra warmth. Pulling Katoki down to sit with her, she said,

"Katoki-kun...I have a question...You don't have to answer it though..." Katoki looked at the woman, who was carrying his child and said,

"Hmm?" Hinata moved her arms a bit and said,

"You haven't had any memory fits lately...have you been remembering?" Katoki rubbed the back of his head.

"Some things. I find that I go to sleep, and wake up with memories more often. I had a small attack before we left Suna...They aren't bad any more..." Katoki saw that Hinata was smiling. He smiled himself, but he felt far from happy.

"What have you been remembering? A-ano...If I'm not prying..." Katoki waved her off and said,

"Sounds, smells, colours, nothing substantial. Well, I remember a tall man, a really tall man...but I might have been a kid...He had tanned skin. But I can't remember anything else about him..." Hinata rested her head on his shoulder. A few minutes passed and Katoki started to feel a bit drowsy.

"...I'm scared..." Katoki's eyes snapped open and looked down at Hinata. She wore a tired smile. Her hand was rested on her stomach. Katoki reached around and slid his hand under Hinata's.

"Don't be. You aren't alone this time." Hinata smiled, and wiped away the tears that had made their way down her face.

Standing up, Katoki walked over to Keii and picked him up by his arm.

"Wake up, boy. We'll be in Kumo in a few minutes. Your jii-sama will take care of you then." Keii unsteadily stood up and yawned. Hinata handed a cloak back to Katoki, and he shrugged it on.

"Hinata, do you have enough chakra to use your byakugan?" Hinata nodded slowly. Katoki held his hand up and Hinata went through the seals. Veins stood out around her eyes making her look angry. Keii was fascinated as he and Katoki watched the woman look around.

"A-ano...I think I can see a few people...18...19 miles away. We have a good headstart." Hinata swivelled her head towards Kumogakure and said,

"There are people coming here. Four ANBU. They'll be here in a few minutes. Presumably to meet us, right?" Katoki nodded and sat down. Keii stood still, but gaped at Hinata. Hinata shakily sat down, but Katoki pulled her onto his lap. She welcomed the warmth and rested her head on his chest.

"You can see that far? For real?" Hinata smiled at the young man.

"Haaa...I can. I could see farther, but I'm really low on chakra." Keii sat down and gazed at Hinata's eyes. Wonder was painted across his face as he said,

"It's a kekkei genkai, right? Too bad, I would love to have eyes like yours." Hinata reddened a bit and she dug her face into Katoki's shoulder.

"Maa maa, Keii, don't say things like that. When Hinata was young, Kumo nin tried to kidnap her for those eyes." Keii grimaced.

"Gomenasai..." Hinata shook her head. She was about to say something when Katoki's head shot up. An ANBU with a bear mask dropped down and said,

"...Katoki-san. Is it really you?" The ANBU said. Katoki looked at the ANBU and said,

"Kimiko-chan, of course it's me. Now, we passed the test, let's get into Kumo, Keii is sick already, and Hinata-chan's heading that way." The ANBU nodded and jumped back into the trees.

"Keii, do you think you have enough chakra to tree jump?" Keii shook his head and said,

"No, but I can try." Katoki grinned and nodded. The brown eyed boy jumped into the trees, and Katoki followed. Hinata gathered chakra at her feet, but when she jumped, she went no higher than five feet. Landing hard, Katoki heard a snap. Hinata moaned and rolled over.

"Kuso...Hinata-chan?" Landing beside her, she opened her eyes and said,

"I have...no chakra...And I think...my ankle…" Grimacing in pain, Katoki smoothed her hair back.

"Here, I'll carry you, get on!" Hinata rolled her self up and Katoki hoisted her onto his back. He jumped into the trees, and then joined the rest of the group on the treetops.

* * *

"Yondaime-sama! People are here to see you!" A young chuunin burst into the office of the Raikage. The old man sleeping on his desk abruptly shot up and said, 

"Ah…Well...Let them in you silly boy." The boy blushed and skittered out of the room. Yondaime rubbed his eyes and yawned. The doors opened again, and two soaking wet ANBU walked in, followed by a soaking wet young man, and an older soaking wet man, carrying a soaking wet woman on his back.

"...Katoki?" The man nodded and Yondaime's eyes looked at the younger man.

"...KEII! You are in SO much trouble, young man." Keii winced, and Yondaime continued. "Tomorrow. For now, rest. Keii, you are to stay at Katoki's apartment tonight. Rest well; I will see you tomorrow night. I will send a medic nin to your apartment sometime around noon." Katoki nodded and sighed. Hinata shifted a bit, but didn't wake up. Keii dragged his feet, and yawned the entire way back to the apartment.

"So this is where you live? Where does Hinata-san live? Do you think she would mind staying here?" Katoki rolled his eyes as he dug his key out.

"Hinata-chan lives with me. She's my girlfriend, Keii." Keii nodded and yawned again. Katoki finally unlocked the door and as he moved towards the bedroom he said,

"You can sleep on the couch. Help yourself to some food if you want, and the spare blankets are under the couch. I'll see you in the morning." Keii nodded and was about to sit on the couch when he realized that his clothes were still soaking wet.

"A-ano...Katoki-sensei?" Keii called out tentatively. Katoki opened the door to the bedroom and threw out a large tee shirt and sweat pants. Keii thanked him, and Katoki shut the door. Looking at Hinata, he sighed.

"Nnnn...Katoki-kun..." Hinata sat up and put a hand to her head. "I have a headache...and I'm wet...Ah! When did we get home?" Katoki knelt down and helped Hinata take her jacket off.

"We just got back. You fell asleep on my back, but it's ok. Yondaime-sama told us to come back tomorrow. Well, me and Keii. You need to stay here and rest. Medic's can't cure colds but they can look at your ankle, besides, you need to take it easy for the baby." Hinata pouted and making sure to stay under the covers, she carefully slid her sodden pants over her bruised and aching ankle. Rubbing her face, Hinata tried to get the blush that had made its way onto her face to go away.

Katoki changed quickly, carefully wrapped Hinata's ankle in a tensor bandage, and took out a load of heavy winter blankets from the closet. Laying them out on the large pallet, Hinata scrambled under then and shivered. Katoki slid under the blankets and hugged the woman, trying to give her some heat.

"Mmm...Katoki-kun?" Hinata said quietly. Katoki moved his head and said drowsily,

"Mmmm?"

"You're really warm..." Katoki smiled and nuzzled closer. Hinata smiled softly and sighed in contentment.

* * *

Gaara approached Tsunade's quarters and was not happy, but not surprised to see the green door hanging off its hinges and missing its lower half. The splinters were stuck in the opposing wall. Gaara glanced at them, but dismissed them. Ducking into the room, he saw that everything had been torn up, and thrown about. Papers covered the entire floor, and ink was splashed on the left wall. The bed was broken in half, one half was stuck in a wall. Tsunade sat in the middle of the room, a bottle of sake adorning her hand.

"Tsunade." Gaara said. The blonde woman looked up at Gaara; her eyes were narrowed and full of anger.

"They got away." Gaara nodded. He wasn't particularly happy to have found that out as well.

"They are headed for Kumogakure. Perhaps it's a good thing." the bottle in Tsunade's hand smashed. Sake and blood dribbled down her hand onto the floor.

"I got her back, and I lost her. Not just that, but she shouldn't be travelling like this! She's carrying a _child_ for kami-sama's sake." Gaara blinked, not expecting that statement.

"I can send a letter to the Raikage, requesting for Hinata-san's return." Tsunade shook her head.

"No, I don't want her travelling any more. I will send a letter requesting for Hinata not to participate in any missions, and to be watched around the clock. I will personally retrieve her when this war is over." Gaara nodded.

"Did you want some paper? Your supply seems...empty." Tsunade threw a crystal inkpot at the red head, but his sand stopped it.

"Get out." She snapped. Gaara's lip twitched into an amused smile.

* * *

A crack echoed throughout the near empty cell, Sasami jolted awake, and Doumeki screamed. A large explosion rattled the room, and small rocks and dust fell on the two girls. Doumeki clambered into Sasami's arms and shivered. Few more bangs, and the door fell off. Light flooded the room and a voice said,

"They're in here!" Hope filled Sasami's chest as her eyes focused on the individuals breaking into her cell.

"Are you two ok?" Someone said. Sasami vaguely nodded.

"W-who...?" Sasami managed to get out, just as one of the men started to walk towards her.

"We're friends. Now let's go, Raiden-chan is waiting." Sasami perked up and Doumeki stopped whimpering. The man looped his arms around Doumeki's waist, but she started to shriek. Letting go, Sasami shrugged. The man clicked his tongue and said,

"I can't carry you both, and neither of you are in any condition to run, let alone walk." Sasami looked down at the dark skinned girl. Her eyes were dark, and no trace of the amber colour that signified her doujutsu was left in them.

"Doumeki-chan...I won't be far away. And I promise I will cuddle with you all the time when they get us out." Doumeki looked panicked, but let go of Sasami's waist. The man looped her around the middle and hoisted her onto his back. A taller man did the same to Sasami. Sasami winced as he seemed to touch every bruise she had.

"Gomen, hime-sama..." He muttered. Sasami almost rolled her eyes.

* * *

Two or three painful hours later, and Sasami was finally let off the man's back. Her legs were wobbly and she could barely walk. Sitting on the ground, the man who had talked to them first let Doumeki down, and she scrambled into Sasami's stomach. Sasami sighed. The journey was relatively smooth...even with one of the kidnappers' interference.

_"OI! NO ONE STEALS MY HOSTAGE!" A voice raged from down the hall. The man carrying Doumeki started to stop, but the third man raised his hand. The man carrying Sasami nodded and the unburdened man formed a bunch of seals almost too quick for Sasami to watch. He turned dark and melted into the ground, almost like a shadow._

_A few moments of silence was heard before a loud squelching sound bounced down the hall. Sasami flinched and Doumeki cupped her hands over her mouth. A small black spot on the ground crawled up to them and materialized._

_"Target has been eliminated." The man carrying Sasami said quietly, _

_"Which one was it?"  
"Kasumi of the Hidden Mist." Doumeki let out an audible sigh and stopped trembling._

Looking up at the man who had rescued her, she studied him for a second or two. His hair was shaggy and green.

"Who are you? And where is Raiden-kun? You mentioned him earlier." The man knelt down and said,

"I'm Raiden-chan's Onii-chan. He's in the next tent, if you want to see him, just try to be quiet, he's still recovering." Sasami almost grimaced, but she carefully moved a now sleeping Doumeki off her lap. Raiden's brother helped her hobble into the next tent, where Sasami gasped. Raiden was hooked up to numerous tubes and wires, a monitor beeped with his heart, and an IV bag dripped into his arm. A series of seals that were plastered over his face and arms were glowing slightly.

"What…What happened?" Sasami whispered harshly, touching the boy's arm. Raiden's brother ran his hand through his hair, and said,

"Those people, they tried to steal his hyper-affinity. That's why you were all captured. I don't know what the leader of this organization wants to do with them, but he put a lot of effort into capturing you. They tried to get me, but I faked my death."

"That explains the look on Raiden-kun's face when he talked about you….wait…All of us? I have a hyper affinity? Doumeki-chan, too?" The man nodded and said,

"That little boy-"

"Girl."

"…Girl…Yea, she is from Kiri no kuni? You are from Hi no kuni? You probably have a fire based one, that girl, a water one. It makes sense…Raiden-chan and I have lightening, and one of the bodies we found had the kanji for 'Earth' carved above his heart. How could you not know, Hime-sama?" Sasami blushed and looked down.

"I…I don't know any katon jutsus…" Raiden's brother laughed and Sasami glared at him.

"Here, here…do these hand seals, and say, Katon: hidama no jutsu." Sasami nodded and moulded a small amount of chakra.

"Katon: hidama no jutsu!" A large flame ball twice the size of her head flared up before Sasami squeaked and released it.

"See? You used barely enough chakra to make a ball the size of your fist. Now try with next to no chakra." Sasami nodded and slowly went through the seals before using a pinch of chakra. The result was a flame ball the size of her fist.

"Crazy…I can't believe I went through life not knowing this…" The man grinned and Sasami blushed slightly.

"Erm…Raiden no onii-san, what is your name?" The man stood back and said,

"Mmm, Raitarou. I'm 21 years old, and I like tempura, but not sushi. My favourite colour is green, and I enjoy long walks on the beach." Sasami coughed and Raitarou started to laugh.

"I was just kidding, Hime-sama. I ask for your forgiveness." Sasami scrunched her nose up.

"Please…Just Sasami." Raitarou nodded his head and helped the pink headed girl hobble back to her tent.

* * *

Kouden stood up for the first time in nearly a month and a half. Bending from side to side, he winced slightly, but was overall happy with his health.

"Kouden-kun, be careful. Your ribs are still bruised." Kouden grinned at the white-haired woman, and stretched again.

"Show off." A dark voice said. Kouden grinned wider and sat down, facing the owner.

"And how is Shiro-teme feeling?" Shiro rolled his eyes, and slowly sat up. His entire chest, arms, and forehead was covered in bandages.

"Like crap. Natsumi-san, how long do I have to wear these? They itch like crazy." Natsumi rolled her eyes and brought over a bowl of soup. Handing the bowl to Shiro, he placed it on his lap.

"Another few days…I can take the ones on your face off now. You don't have many permanent scars. You probably won't be up for another 3 or 4 weeks. You broke both your legs." Shiro sighed and shovelled a spoonful of soup into his mouth.

"Ne-chan, where is Ero-sennin? He hasn't been here in a week." Natsumi shrugged and said,

"Mama said he was leaving you two in my care for a bit…But I don't know how long that is. Why? Am I not good company?" Kouden flushed and said,

"No, you are! I like you just fine! It's just this feeling I have…Like, something is wrong, somewhere, with someone I know…I hope Oka-san and Sasami-chan are ok…" Natsumi smiled and handed another bowl of soup to the blonde

* * *

Sasami woke up feeling refreshed. She was still sitting in the small camp, but the bruises that had mottled her skin had been easily healable when her chakra returned to her a few days after landing in the camp. She continued to practice her new found fire technique with Doumeki, who, as she learned the hard way, was very adept at her water skills. Raitarou didn't know any other katon jutsus, and neither did his partners, but she was fine with the one she had.

Hearing a low murmur coming from outside her tent, she lifted the blankets and Doumeki's needy hand from her stomach. Rolling off her futon she stood up slowly, and held back the grumble from her stomach.

Pushing back the flap to the tent, the first thing she saw was Raitarou talking to a strange and tall old man. He had long red stripes on his face from his eyes to his chin. The look on the old man's face was one of seriousness, but it softened when he saw her.

"Ah…So this is the pretty little thing my apprentice loves." Sasami blushed and stepped out of the tent, gravitating towards Raitarou.

"Hime-…err, Sasami-sama, is there something I can do for you?" Sasami sighed but said tentatively,

"C-can I see Raiden-kun? Is he awake yet?" Raitarou looked at her with sympathy in his eyes.

"You may…You know to be quiet by now…but I'm afraid there hasn't been a change in his condition. When you get there, please wait there. Jiraiya-sama needs to talk to you when I am done here." Sasami nodded shyly, looking at Jiraiya.

Heading to the tent that contained the still form of her friend, Sasami looked over her shoulder at Jiraiya. He was talking to Raitarou again, and his face was serious.

Pushing the flap to Raiden's tent, the first thing she noticed was the steady beeping of the monitor that showed Raiden's heartbeat. Sasami noticed that the boy didn't have an oxygen tank on his face anymore, and colour was starting to return. Sitting on the ground by the futon, she stroked the boy's face and sighed.

Raiden's cheek twitched and Sasami paused, but nothing else happened. Looking from right to left, she quickly went through a series of seals before placing her now glowing hand on Raiden's forehead.

No internal damage to his organs, other than a lot of the chakra channels that surrounded his heart, liver, and one of lungs were almost completely destroyed. It seemed to Sasami almost as if someone had pulled on them until they snapped. The seals on his face and arms were pumping a constant stream of chakra in pre-designed pathways around his organs, keeping him alive.

Feeling closer at the pathways, she was amazed to find that in some areas, Raiden's own chakra was slowly forming itself around the foreign chakra, slowly, but surely healing themselves.

Releasing her chakra, Sasami sat back and sighed again, just as the flap opened with a small _whoosh_. Jiraiya walked in, and Sasami stood up and bowed. Jiraiya waved his hand.

"Nonsense child. You are a queen, and thus have more authority to me; I should be the one to bow, not you." Sasami grimaced.

"Jiraiya-sama? You are teaching Kouden, right? How is he? Where is he? I haven't seen him in two years…" Jiraiya sighed and sat down. Sasami started to feel apprehension building in her gut.

"He's alright now." Sasami's heart sank to the floor, and she choked out,

"Now?" Jiraiya nodded.

"He was grievously injured. In fact, had I not ran into…an old acquaintance, he would probably be dead. Shiro too…Although he was still unconscious when I left them in the care of my…Natsumi." Sasami felt faint. Putting a hand to her forehead, she said in a low voice, through clenched teeth,

"You are supposed to be their teacher and protect them!" Jiraiya had an almost amused look on his face.

"I'm here to escort you and that little girl you are so close to back to Kumo…well, you, as Doumeki-chan will be meeting her escorts at the border of Hi no Kuni."

Sasami sucked her breath in and looked at Raiden.

"When?" Jiraiya looked at Raiden as well and said,

"I took a look at those seals. I'm no medic nin, but I grew up with one. That boy will be just fine, his reserves might be a bit smaller than before, but nothing a bit of training can not fix. Don't worry."

"When, Jiraiya-sama."

"Now. Get the girl up, we leave in ten minutes. Pack a cloak, no more. We need to get to Kumo tomorrow." Sasami gaped. Tomorrow? It takes at least three days from here, if she thought correctly about where she was. Sasami opened her mouth to argue, but closed it and stomped off. Jiraiya laughed and looked at the boy sombrely. Putting a hand to his forehead he said quietly,

"I had to break it to her nicely, boy. She doesn't need to know that you will probably never be able to use enough chakra to pull up a proper bunshin. Your hyper affinity is gone too, but you'll manage. Buck up, and have a good life, brat."

"Dou-chan, Dou-chan, wake up." The dark skinned girl rolled over and groaned. Sasami sighed and said,

"Doumeki! Get up!" Doumeki shot up, her dark green eyes looking around wildly before meeting Sasami's brown ones.

"Ne-chan? Wha? Is something happening?" Sasami nodded and tossed a thick cloak to the girl.

"Here, we have to leave with Jiraiya-sama. We are meeting your escort group tomorrow." Tears welled up in Doumeki's eyes, but she blinked them away.

"I don't wanna leave you, Ne-channnnn!" She whined, but Sasami shook her head.

"We leave in five minutes, get up, get dressed, and get the cloak on." Doumeki nodded slowly, and Sasami left the tent, her long black cloak flapping around her ankles.

"Is she ready yet?" Sasami shook her head and said,

"Give her five minutes. She's 7 for kami-sama's sake." Jiraiya rolled his eyes. Looking over at Raitarou, Sasami slowly walked over to him and gave him a quick hug. Blushing, she said,

"Thank you for rescuing us, we are both very grateful. I hope that you and Raiden-kun stay safe, and tell Raiden-kun, when he wakes up, that I will miss him, and he is allowed to visit me anytime he wants, you too, if I am still stuck in the palace." Raitarou nodded and grinned. Ruffling the small queen's pink hair, Sasami giggled and blushed, and turned back to Jiraiya, who was waiting patiently with a ruffled looking Doumeki.

"Are we ready?" The girls nodded, and Jiraiya raised his fist.

"Then shall we?" Jumping into a tree, Doumeki and Sasami were both soon to follow.

* * *

End Chapter 36

8D! It's finally here!


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

* * *

"Itatatataaa!" Hinata said, drawing in a sharp breath. The man holding her ankle snorted and smiled at her.

"Yep, snapped. You won't be able to walk on it for a while. Take these for your cold, 1 every 6 hours as needed, and don't even think about healing your ankle. Healing with chakra can cause premature births, as it speeds up the regeneration of cells." Hinata nodded and fiddled with the capsules filled with small blue pills. Shaking them she said,

"And these won't harm my baby?" The man shook his head.

"I suggest making an appointment for your baby as well. I'm a medic nin. I don't deal with babies very often." Giving a short laugh, Hinata nodded.

Flexing her fingers on the rubber handles of her crutches, Hinata awkwardly swung herself out of the hospital. Her stomach growled and she made her way to a small yakitori stand. The man looked at her funny as she dug change out of the pocket of her loose pants.

Brushing crumbs off of the large T-shirt she was wearing, she was dismayed to see a small stain.

"Gaah…" She muttered. A crack of thunder and a flash of lightning signalled the oncoming of another storm. Hinata let loose a mild curse and started to swing on the crutches back to her apartment.

Small droplets of rain started to pelt her when she was about halfway, and goose bumps made their way up her arms and across her stomach.

"Can I help you, Uzumaki-san?" A deep voice said from behind Hinata. Jumping, and painfully moving her ankle, she twisted around and looked up. The large neighbour that had helped her the one time when she pushed Katoki down the stairs was standing in the rain, looking slightly comical in holding his small pink umbrella.

"A-ah…Gomen…I'm not used to that name." The man blinked, but his hand remained held out.

"You told me that was your name, the last time I saw you. Uzumaki Hinata-san, right?" Hinata nodded and blushed slightly.

"Do you still want some help? I'm on my way back to the building, and I happened to see you struggling." Hinata smiled and said,

"Ahh, thank you! I would love help; I'm still not used to these." Waving the crutches around for effect, the large man smiled and Hinata stopped.

"Can I give you a back ride? Much more efficient." Hinata bit her finger.

"A...ah...Ok… I can't see the harm in it." The man nodded and bent down, holding his arms out behind him. Hinata hobbled over to him and he pulled her onto his back. Taking Hinata's crutches away, the man stood up straight, and Hinata nearly whooped with the sensation of rising up.

* * *

Tsunade gritted her teeth as the pen she was using snapped. Throwing the pieces aside, she cupped her forehead in her hands and choked back a frustrated sob.

"Here." Looking up, Tsunade nearly jumped to see a red headed toddler holding out a pen. Holding the toddler was another redhead, one with worry wrinkling the corners of his eyes.

"Obaa Obaa! Take, take! Tou says it make you feel nice. Obaa wants nice, right?" Kaisa said, wiggling her arm and holding the pen out farther. Tsunade smiled and took the pen from the toddler's grip. Kaisa twisted around to her father and said,

"Tou said I could see Aki if I gave Obaa a pen. Can I see Aki now? Tou? Tou?" Gaara sighed and Tsunade smiled.

"Aki?" The blonde said. Gaara looked at her and closed his eyes.

"A fox kit that the boy left here a few months ago. Not a kit anymore though. Kaisa-chan spoils her too much, and she had to be moved to a safer place than my home." Tsunade felt the burning of tears and Gaara sighed again.

"Try not to break this pen, Tsunade." Tsunade waved the redhead off and started to write on the scroll in front of her. The sound of Kaisa's squealing as Gaara put her down made her smile, and reminded her of her various babysitting jobs she did for Nawaki when he was that age.

"Alright," the blonde said to herself, "Let's see, erm… Raikage-san. Although a certain Hyuuga Hinata…or Uzumaki Hinata as she might go by has been found alive, she is still technically a Leaf Shinobi, and thus, I, the Hokage, have more authority over her actions than you do. But since I am not here to start a war, I formally ask you, as a favour to me, that Hinata be restrained from any strenuous travel. If you are not already aware, she is with child, and should not be straining herself. I also request that she is restrained from any missions, and that, except in the case of an emergency, she is to be restrained from using too much chakra. To enforce that, if possible, I request, as a favour for me, and Konoha itself, that she be watched at all times. May I suggest Katoki-san? Considering he is the father of this child, he might be more willing to comply.

I am hoping sincerely that this war ends soon, but I am glad that in this time of strife, we have joined together in an alliance. I hope the peace lasts more than a short while. Have my best regards for you, Hinata, Katoki-san, my apprentice's apprentice, also known as you granddaughter, Ditama Sasami, and all of Kumogakure. May you stay safe and live a long life. Signed, Tsunade, Godaime Hokage."

"Do you always read your letters aloud as you write them?" Tsunade jumped and held back a small shout.

"Sakura! Do you always listen in on classified manners?" The pink haired medic shrugged and sat on the only not broken chair left in the room.

"I figure that since you haven't been training or even considering any one that I know of, I am the most likely to be Hokage after you retire. I see no reason in wanting to know some things." Tsunade raised a brow.

"Next? Hmm? I didn't know that you wanted the position. You've had to deal with being my right hand man since you were 12; you know everything that is required of you. And you still want it?" Sakura shook her head and looked out the window behind Tsunade.

"I don't want it, but if it was offered, I think I might just take it. You know, to keep his dream alive. I think he would be proud of me. But bah, I'm talking nonsense. I came here to tell you about Lee-san." Tsunade gazed at Sakura and waved her hand, signalling her to continue.

"As you know, Gai-sensei died after opening all 8 gateways, but successfully taking out a large number, into the three digits, of enemy nin. Fai-kun escaped with minimal injuries, the worst being his pinkie finger." Tsunade nodded.

"What about Lee? How has his body set?" Sakura shifted her feet and sighed.

"Badly. He kept thrashing in his sleep, reopening most of his wounds and re-shifting the bone fragments before they could bind properly. Luckily, the spinal fracture was easily fixed, and, in fact was helped along by tiny fragments of your chakra from the operation he had all those years ago. His arm…well, because he had to shift around so much, I'm going to half to operate and screw them together. Same with his leg. I need your help, Shishou. I don't want to screw this up." Tsunade shook her head.

"Alright. I can watch, but I will not step in physically until I'm absolutely needed. You need to learn this, Sakura, if you are to fully live up to your title of Densetsu Sannin." Sakura made a small noise of frustration but nodded and stood. Bowing, she turned to leave and said,

"Thank you, Shishou. Now, get back to writing that letter, and be sure not to let sake and money drive you away from your work." Winking, the pink haired woman left quickly before the Hokage could throw something at her_  
_

* * *

_Chop chop chop chop…_ the mindless sound of the large knife slicing through a carrot and hitting the wooden board underneath it was slowly putting a certain brown haired individual to sleep. Her hair, normally twirled up in two perfectly set buns, was instead hanging about her face. It was drab and lacked the lustre that it normally possessed.

Sighing, Tenten stopped cutting the carrot and pushed the chopped vegetable into a pot containing various other chopped greens. Behind her, the front door opened with a creek and Tenten tightened the grip on her handle. Twirling around, she prepared to throw the blade, but stopped when she saw who was at the door.

"Oka-chan! You looked like you haven't slept in days! I leave for a week long mission, and come home to this? Go, go to bed!" Aiko said, her brown hair was tied up into buns similar to what Tenten usually wore, but had sticks and leaves sticking randomly out of them. A split lip added to the large and dark bruise around her eye.

"Aiko! What on earth happened?" Aiko laughed and said,

"Well, on the way to the village where the escortee lived, I tripped on a branch and split my lip, and on the way back, I tried to save a little boy from drowning, only to have the kid flail and punch me right in the eye." Tenten gasped and scuttled to the fridge. Opening the freezer, she pulled out a bag of frozen peas and held it to her daughter's eye.

"How is Shizune-san holding up?" Tenten asked. Aiko shrugged and took the peas from her mother's battle hardened hands.

"When I saw her, she looked a tad stressed, but fine overall. Besides, Izumo-san and Kotetsu-san are helping her a lot." Tenten nodded and Aiko moved towards the stairs.

"I'm taking a nap, and then a shower. When will dinner be ready? That's what you are cooking, right?" Tenten nodded and said,

"In about two hours. I have to stew the meat as well." Aiko smiled and walked up the rail-less stairs. Tenten opened the small fridge and pulled out another vegetable to slice.

* * *

Katoki paced outside the Yondaime's office, and clenched his fists for the hundredth time that afternoon. The old man was still talking to Keii, and Katoki was starting to get restless.

The doors to the Raikage's office swung open and the pale blonde boy sauntered out. Sparing his teacher a glance, he grimaced and turned down the hall. A moment later, an ANBU sporting a cat mask swiftly glided after him.

Storming in, Katoki had every motion to give the old man a piece of his mind, but when he saw the look of stress and tiredness decorating the wrinkles on his face, all his ambition died away.

"Katoki…I thank you for bringing back Keii. Now, please, do tell me, how is the war going?" Katoki sighed and sat on the red velvet chair in front of his desk.

"Bad. The Tsuchikage is a maniac! He wants to take over Suna, and has enlisted grass and rain nin to help. Suna is outnumbered, even with Kumo and Konoha's help. Waterfall refused to be anything but neutral, and I dare not tread on sound territory. Their grudge against the leaf is bad enough. But I don't want to discuss that."

"Then you mind telling me what I am hearing about a…baby?" Katoki sucked his breath in.

"Hinata is expecting my child, but that can wait!" Yondaime's eyebrows rose and the corners of his mouth turned down in consideration.

"A war baby? Not the best time for a shinobi to be expecting…"

"Jiji!" Katoki said loudly through clenched teeth.

"Boy, I advise you not to address me so informally. You are not a youngster that I can forgive." Katoki looked the old man straight in his eyes and said,

"Why? Why did you not tell me?" Yondaime narrowed his eyes.

"Tell you what, Boy?"

"I remember. Not everything, but a lot of important things." The Raikage's blood ran cold.

"…How?" The Raikage asked carefully. Katoki looked away and said,

"It happened when Hinata took a blade for me…"

"_K-katoki-kun…" Katoki's entire body twitched as his eyes snapped open. _

_The sight in front of him nearly made him wretch, and the buzz at the back of his head picked up to a high pitched whine, and the dull throb of his headache became pangs of ripping pain, but Katoki ignored it._

_Hinata was standing in front of him, facing him with her delicately calloused hands on his shoulders. Her pearly eyes were wide and filled with tears, but she was smiling. The small trail of blood that ran from her lip seemed to contrast her pale skin, despite the random dirt smudges she had gotten from days of fighting. Katoki's eyes widened further as he trailed the line of blood and glanced at her chest._

_Sticking a full inch and a half out of her chest was the tip of the wakizashi that had been meant for Katoki. Blood covered the entire front of her flak vest. Hinata coughed and a fine spray of blood stained Katoki's own vest, but he didn't pay notice. _

_The Nin standing behind Hinata had a look of surprise on his face, but it quickly changed to satisfaction as he pulled his wakizashi out of her chest. The noise made Katoki nauseous._

_Hinata fell forward as soon as the blade was free from her chest and Katoki caught her with gentle ease. The Nin had stepped back to wipe his blade on the nearest corpse's clothes, and Katoki used this brief moment to frantically try and stop the blood._

"_Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan, you need to stay awake! Keep your eyes open!" He said to her. He tried to yell, but his vocal chords seemed to have contracted and his pleas came out as a harsh whisper._

"_K-ka-t-toki…k-kun…" She said, half choking on her own blood. Tears were leaking out of her eyes as she looked up at Katoki._

"_Shh, don't talk, don't move." Grabbing her hand, Katoki gasped as a flash of silver passed his left eye. He head shot up and Katoki felt a warm trickle of blood run down his cheek._

"_Silly Kumo-nin. Don't they teach you to never take your attention off of the enemy? I could have killed you right then. Don't you even care about your life? Tch tch." Katoki grit his teeth. His headache doubled in size and the high peeled whine tripled in volume. Laying Hinata gently on the ground, Katoki stood up and drew his short katana._

_Zzzzzzzzzzzzz…SNAP! Katoki's eyes widened and vision became blurry. He felt himself collapsing as black bled into the edges of his vision. Katoki felt a pang of despair as he felt his head hit the ground and his world became submersed in a sea of inky darkness._

_When Katoki opened his eyes, he was slightly surprised to find that he was not dead, and that he was lying in water. Sitting up, he listened to the water drops echo throughout the halls of cement._

_"Hello?" He yelled, but only heard his echo. He stood, and as soon as he took his first step, he felt compelled to turn right. Katoki's face screwed up in confusion as he let his feet take him to wherever._

_A low rumbling filled the air, and Katoki paused for a moment. The rumbling was coming from the room ahead, where light was leaking into the hall._

_Entering the room, Katoki couldn't help but gawk. The room was huge! A cage with bars set wide enough apart that Katoki could easily walk through them, spanned the ceiled to the floor._

_Another rumble filled the room, and Katoki felt the floor vibrate. The various pipes that lined the ceilings rattled, and Katoki glanced at the cage. The lock was a square the size of his head, and plastered over top of it were two seals. The one on the back looked old, slightly torn, and had the kanji for what Katoki thought was 'seal'. The seal on top, looked new, save for the tear that decorated the top of it. This seal had no words, only a splatter of blood._

_A sharper rumble, almost a growl shook the room, and to Katoki's horror the seal on top was slowly being torn in two. Rushing over to hold it together, he caught a glimpse of what was inside and yelled._

_A large red beast with nine even larger tails swinging behind it and swirling with red chakra was staring at him intently. The beast was staring him directly in the eye, and slowly reached a paw out to him. Opening its mouth, the beast threw his head back and roared, but all Katoki heard was a loud buzz._

_"You…You're that voice! I…I think you're the monster from my dreams!" The monster rolled his eyes and Katoki almost smirked. _

_The paw that the monster had held out tapped the back of the lock, and Katoki jumped. Looking at the beast, Katoki looked at the seal and said, _

_"You want me to tear it off? Doesn't this keep you in?" The monster shifted and shook his head._

_"Both of them?" The monster shook his head again and retracted his paw._

_"Just the top one then?" Nodding quickly, the monster lowered his head so that his nose was eye level with Katoki. Katoki took a breath and looked at the blank seal. Carefully, as to not damage the seal underneath it, he peeled the top one off. _

_For a second nothing happened, but then something hit Katoki with the force of a thousand hammers. Screaming in pain, Katoki fell to his knees, splashing the dirty looking water. A thing red tendril of chakra slowly made its way from the monster onto a glowing red seal that appeared on Katoki's stomach. As the monster started mixing it's chakra with Katoki's, the blonde's screams abated, and he stopped thrashing, giving only a twitch every now and then._

_Looking up slowly, his eyes a blazing red, and the scars on his cheeks thick and bleeding freely, Katoki opened his mouth and said in a raspy voice, _

_"Kyuubi…" _

_**"Glad to be back, kit."**__ Katoki almost jumped at the sound of the monster's voice, but every muscle in his body was aching._

_"How am I still alive? I don't...can't…what happened with Hiashi?" Kyuubi sighed (more a loud rumble) and said, _

_**"You died. I didn't want to die, so I saved your sorry ass. When you heart stopped, I shoved as much chakra into your body as I could, I managed to almost completely merge our chakra systems, and restart your heart." **__Katoki rubbed his arms and shivered._

_"Hinata-chan said…Oh Kami-sama…Hinata! She took a blade for me…its eerie…Almost the exact same way as…before…Kyuubi! I need to save her! Please, lend me some chakra!" Kyuubi shook his head._

_**"No need to ask, as I said, we are almost completely merged. You've been using my chakra since your heart stopped. But go and save the vixen already…"**__ Kyuubi said, his voice fading as Katoki's vision blinked. _

_He was lying on the ground, Hinata beside him, blood still trickling out of her mouth. The enemy nin was advancing on his body, but Katoki shot up as fast as his body would allow him._

_"You're going to __**pay!"**__ Katoki yelled, his voice dropping in tone with each word. The nin started to shake as red chakra poured out of Katoki's stomach and surrounded him._

_"What…what are you, some kind of monster?!" The nin shakily yelled. Childhood memories started to plague Katoki's vision, but he shook them off with a growl. Holding his hand out, he instinctively started to swirl chakra in it until a tightly packed ball formed. _

_Katoki stared at it for a few seconds before jumping at the nin. Landing on the man's chest, he rammed the ball into the nin's face and yelled, _

_**"Rasengan!"**__ Katoki, even with bloodlust clouding his mind, felt like throwing up when the ball of chakra drilled through the face, grinding away until it broke through the skull, where it promptly blended the man's brains, until the Rasengan broke through the back of his head and into the ground behind it. _

_Katoki released the chakra without thinking and the entire thing exploded. Katoki felt a harsh pain in his right arm before blacking out._

"I woke up and took Hinata to Tsunade. I'm amazed both she and the baby survived." The Raikage's eyes were wide and his mouth agape.

"You…talked…to Kyuubi no Youko?" Katoki sat back and said,

"…Yea…I remember, sort of, that I've done it more than once… I can hear him in my head right now, grumbling away…" The old man pursed his lips and said,

"Well…Katoki, what do you want to do now? Are you going to stay in Kumo, or go back to Konoha? I will not interfere with whatever decision you make…"

"Please…I think, first we need to deal with the war and Hinata. And please, call me by my name…Katoki sounds so false now…" Yondaime looked at the man and nodded his head in a small bow.

"Hajimemashita, Uzumaki Naruto. Welcome back from the dead." Naruto grinned, flashing his large canines.

* * *

End Chapter 37

Alright! It's up! Both at once, as an apology.

I found a way to put up chapters, so they will be up more regularily now. 8D Sorry you guys, I'm really frustrated.

Mog


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

* * *

Kouden grunted as he was smashed backwards. Twisting around, he used the falling motion and pulled off a handspring. Landing on his feet, the blonde didn't pause as he jumped up again and tried to pull off a mid-air kick.

Raising his arm, Shiro deflected the kick and pulled a well aimed punch into Kouden's ribs. Kouden coughed, the wind having been knocked out of him, and fell, rolling onto the grass.

Sitting up he coughed a few times and shot Shiro a glare.

"Teme… cough …that hurt!" Shiro rolled his blue eyes and said,

"Well, duh, dobe. It was supposed too." Kouden just coughed and glared again. Shiro looked around and rubbed his arm.

"Where is Ero-sensei?" Kouden shrugged and said,

"He was here three weeks ago, briefly. You were sleeping though. He gave Natsumi-nechan some money and food and other stuff."

"Was he? I haven't seen him since we were attacked…that was almost 4 months ago." Kouden stood up and looked at the small cabin that they were still residing in.

"Well, I'm glad your legs healed up. I was getting really bored. Hmmm…Hey, You wanna go to the town? I heard Natsumi-nechan talk about a festival. We can buy some cheap kimonos and play around like kids again." Shiro snorted and walked towards the cabin.

"Only if you buy them!" He called out. Kouden snorted but smiled.

* * *

Hinata sat down and let out a breath. Rubbing her protruding stomach, a certain blonde headed individual started to worry.

"Are you feeling ok? Do you need water? Food? Anything?" Hinata closed her eyes irritably and said,

"Katoki-kun, I'm fine. It's just a baby, not a life threatening wound." The blonde winced at the name and started to rub his chest unconsciously. Hinata noticed this and said,

"Is something wrong? Since you got here you've been acting weird. Staring off into space and rubbing your chest. You don't have to be afraid of talking to me, I'll always be here for you…Katoki-kun…?" Naruto winced again, but covered it up with a large grin.

"I'm fine! Er-let's go get dango, I'm starved." Hinata looked at him for a moment longer before nodding.

"Yea…I'm starving." Naruto grinned again and pulled the pregnant Hyuuga up to her feet. The cold green stone that hung around his neck hit his skin, and Naruto was glad that he remembered who gave it to him.

Shoving a large ball of dango in his mouth, Hinata giggled as some of the bean paste inside leaked out of the corner of Naruto's mouth.

"Katoki-kun…Have you been thinking of names?" Katoki stopped eating. Pulling the stick out of his mouth, he looked Hinata in the eyes.

"I was thinking…that, maybe you should name him. You did a good job with his older brother…" Hinata paused. Naruto grimaced as sadness overwhelmed Hinata's eyes. Looking at Naruto, she quickly smiled and said slyly,

"What makes you think it's a boy?" Naruto puffed his chest out and said,

"I just know. Besides, I'm too tough for a girl." Hinata laughed. She opened her mouth to respond, but a screech made her peer upwards. A large hawk was circling around the stand. Around it's neck was a yellow band, which made Naruto sigh.

"I suppose you have to meet with Yondaime-sama…?" Hinata said. Naruto nodded slowly and stood up.

"I will try to be back before nightfall. If I can't do it, I will send you a bird." Hinata nodded and Naruto bent down and pecked her lips lightly.

* * *

Stalking into the Raikage's office, Naruto slipped his vest on and, after winking at the secretary, knocked on the Yondaime's door.

"Enter." Naruto sighed and walked in. Sitting in the chair in front of the Raikage was an old man. Naruto felt anger rise up in his chest. Taking a step, the man turned to Naruto just in time to meet the blonde's fist.

Blood gushed out of the man's nose, but was quickly staunched with the sleeve of his robe.

"Naruto! That was not called for!" Yondaime yelled. Naruto ignored him. His eyes were crimson and slitted, and the seal on his stomach threatened to loose chakra.

"**You were his teacher! Why didn't you protect him?!**" Jiraiya's eyes widened.

"Ah… You've remembered. Welcome back Naruto." Naruto's brow twitched. Grabbing the sannin's shirt, he hauled him up to his feet.

"**ERO-TEME!**" Jiraiya sighed and put his hand over Naruto's fist.

"Naruto, your son isn't dead. Neither is his friend. Last time I checked, the two were doing…better than before." Naruto felt all the demonic chakra withdraw as relief surged through his veins. Falling backwards, Naruto stared up at the tall man. His cerulean eyes full of hope.

"Where…where is he?" Jiraiya looked at the Raikage, who nodded.

"I came here for two things. One was to say that the war is over. An attack was made on the Iwa's base camp, and the maniac was disposed of. The group that was responsible has been reduced down to two survivors, and they are both being reined as heroes, and a memorial in Suna is being held. A smaller one will be held in Konoha for the three leaf nin's that fell." The Yondaime was silent.

"That's great! Who were the two heroes?" Jiraiya smirked.

"Watanabe Daisuke of Suna and Uchiha Sasuke of Konoha." Naruto beamed.

"Ahh, Teme is still alive, I see. Is Sakura-chan still kicking?" Jiraiya nodded and said,

"Gaki, you need to head back to Konoha. Now that the war is over, Tsunade wants to retire. And rumour has it that Sakura's gonna get the title, in your memory, of course." Naruto sucked his breath in.

"Naruto, this is a once in a lifetime chance. Besides, if you stay here, there is no way you'll get Raikage, you idiot. That's Keii's job." Naruto grinned and nodded.

"Yea. Alright. I suppose it's time to come back from the dead."

"Have you told Hinata-san yet?" Naruto froze and the Raikage sighed.

"Pardon the boy's foolishness, Jiraiya-san, but I'm afraid he has not. Silly boy, get moving." Naruto scoffed.

"I'll tell her when the time is right. Jiraiya, what was the second thing you needed to tell us?" Jiraiya smiled slyly. A bell rang at the back of Naruto's head.

"Not something perverted I hope." Naruto said pointedly. Jiraiya feigned hurt and said,

"Well I guess you don't want to be part of a special mission. Your last Kumo mission, that is. You get to be a bodyguard!" Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"For whom." Jiraiya grinned.

"Well, It's only proper that the Gama Sennin guard his predecessor, isn't it?" Naruto turned his head.

"No. Kami-sama, I'll go back to Konoha myself." Jiraiya snorted.

"What about Kouden, Shiro, Sasami, and Hinata? They all need your protection." The Yondaime stepped in at this point.

"Mm, Jiraiya-san, I'm afraid that Hinata-san cannot leave the village, much less participate in strenuous activities. She's what, 6 months along now?" Naruto nodded and Jiraiya laughed.

"Ahahaha! Great timing gaki. Well, I guess this means we will have to take it slower than usual, but Raikage, I'm taking the girl. Tell Tsunade that she ran away with 'Katoki'. That way it will be a surprise!" The Raikage snorted and sat down.

"Ero-sennin, you're evil." Naruto said.

* * *

Tsunade sneezed. Sakura held out a tissue to the woman and said,

"I hope whomever is talking about you is talking something nice." Tsunade spared her old student a glance and smiled.

They were on their way back to Konoha. The healthy and uninjured nin had left early in the morning, and were expected to set up a festival for when the walking group, which included Tsunade, Sakura, and most of the injured and recovering nin, who would arrive later.

"How is Sasuke?" Tsunade said. Sakura smiled and said,

"He's fine. The bone in his right arm has set nicely, and his ribs will heal nicely too." Sakura looked behind her at the man leading a group of chuunin. The man looked at her and gave her a little smile. Sakura blushed and turned around.

"Sakura, you're 31, not 12. Stop acting like a googly-eyed school girl." Tsunade said sharply, which only made the pink haired nurse's blush deeper.

"Shishou!" Sakura cried out, Tsunade only laughed.

* * *

The raven haired Uchiha clan leader held in a laugh when he saw his wife blush. Instead he let the corners of his lips curl into a small smile. He had his cool and calm façade to hold up after all. The group of chuunin behind him, were chatting about their various wounds, each exaggerating the story behind them. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke tried to scratch underneath the cast on his right arm, but soon gave up.

"Sasuke-sama? Can you tell us how you defeated the evil Tsuchikage?" Sasuke twitched his eye. They had been walking for a good two days already, with another week to go. He had watched the uninjured nin pass them by earlier that day and had felt sad that he couldn't join them. He would never tell anyone, but he secretly loved the feeling of the wind in his hair.

"Fine, but listen, because I'm not going to tell it again." The group nodded eagerly.

"_Raven, Tiger, Jay, what are your positions?" Sasuke switched his headset on and said, _

"_We are 46 metres south and 12 metres west of the south entrance. Where is the third team? They aren't responding." Tiger shifted in the tree above and behind Sasuke. Sasuke looked up and Tiger pointed at the road ahead of them. Three enemy nin were walking and talking loud._

"_Cougar, Elk, Snake, and Dog are 14 metres north and 34 metres east of the north entrance, last time they rang in. They are currently engaged and cannot respond." Jay swore quietly._

"_Kuso. They know we're coming then. Jay, keep my right guarded, and Tiger, I'll keep your back. We'll take these three out as fast and quietly as possible. Hide their corpses in the trees." Jay nodded and Tiger saluted._

_The nin walked, still talking loudly, when three black blobs dropped down out of the trees. Before they could even scream, Sasuke and his group had each dispatched a nin. Silently hopping into the tree, they tucked the bodies into high branches, and henged into perfect copies of their victims._

"_Henge Success. Not a cloud was disturbed. Now entering south entrance. Current progress?" Sasuke said, pressing the button on his neck._

"_Cougar, Elk, Dog, and an injured but not inhibited Snake are now entering the north entrance. Myself and Crow are entering a small side entrance on the east side."  
_

"_Extent of Snake's injuries?" Sasuke said, his teammates listening closely. _

"_Gash on upper left arm. Bandaged, and will not prove a distraction."_

"_Hai. We are approaching. Communications will now cease until we reach the centre camp." Pressing and holding the small red button until it beeped, Sasuke motioned with two fingers to move forward._

_Entering and walking through an enemy camp was the second most nerve wracking thing that Sasuke can ever recall doing, the first being him watching the long and tedious birth of his son and heir, Ooshii._

_A few nin had waved at them as they walked by, and as protocol called for, the three waved and smiled back._

_Nearing the middle of the basecamp, Sasuke's pals started to sweat with apprehension, but the Sharingan user calmed himself down when he spotted and unfamiliar Kusa nin. The nin, a rather tall woman with braided dark blue hair had a gash on her upper arm that was cleverly bandaged._

_Walking towards the small group, Sasuke said to the woman quietly, _

"_Are you a snake in the grass?" The woman looked at him crossly before saying, _

"_You know, if I really was a Kusa nin, I woulda kicked your ass by now, senpai." Sasuke smirked and identified the woman as Watanabe Daisuke._

_Jay peered at Daisuke and said, _

"_Snake-chan, woah, sexy much?" Daisuke frowned at Jay, and Sasuke was irritated with memories of a certain blonde who invented stupid jutsus._

"_Enough. We will go in, three at a time, Snake, you watch the outer camp, use anything, including your henge to stop anyone from entering." Snake nodded, his/her eye twitching._

_Sasuke watched as the now much younger looking Cat made towards the tent. Sasuke's palms started to itch, he had not had this much excitement in a while._

_A few minutes passed, and so far, as to the Raven haired man's speculation, nothing was going out of order. Standing up, He started to walk into the tent, followed loosely by Tiger and Jay._

_The tent was spacious, about twice the size of the Hokage's office in Konoha. Sasuke was initially surprised at the number of people in the tent, but quickly gained control of his emotions. _

_Seeing Cat, he turned to his teammates and said, _

"_Stay here, and don't talk. I will be right back." Jay nodded, but Tiger remained stoic. Sasuke tromped over to the other end of the tent and said, _

"_Cat, there are too many people, any suggestions before I make one?" Cat shook his head and Sasuke smirked._

"_Get the remaining group to call an attack on the south border, that would make them clear out. We can handle and leftover." Cat looked at Sasuke and a small smirk edged it's way on to his face._

_Sasuke nodded and walked quietly and quickly, slightly suppressing his chakra so that he was less noticeable._

"_Move to the side of the tent. It's about to get chaotic. What ever you do, don't leave your position." Jay nodded enthusiastically, and Tiger just turned to walk. Sasuke walked outside quickly, and saw Snake's team about to leave their spot, minus Snake, of course. Sasuke raised his hand and they stopped._

"_Ok, new plan. Wait a few more minutes, but Dog? Stay with snake this time. Wait a few after Cougar and Elk enter the tent, and you two, head towards the nearest entryway. Start screaming bloody murder and say that there is an attack. Everyone will flee that way, so try not to get trampled. When the target's tent empties…"_

_A vicious smile that look positively evil was painted on Daisuke's delicate face. Dog was shifting his feet nervously._

"_Raven, that's risky. As soon as you dispatch the target, we will be targeted."_

"_With the commotion, it's not likely that they will notice until too late. Good luck you two." Dog grimaced, but Daisuke had already started to walk towards the entrance._

_Sasuke turned and re-entered the tent with Elk and Cougar, who both took positions near the Kage's personal guards._

_Sasuke didn't have to wait long before a woman's yelling pierced through the camp. He couldn't get the exact words, but what ever Daisuke and Dog started to yell, the entire camp shifted. Nin started to empty from the tent, and from what Sasuke could see, it was utter chaos._

_When the tent emptied out, all that was left was an angry Tsuchikage, and 4 burly looking shinobi._

_The 8 ANBU assassins dropped their henge, and before anyone could utter a scream, the guards and Kage had dropped dead from various Kunai to the neck._

"_Let's move." Sasuke said. The remaining nin nodded and fled the tent._

Sasuke grimaced as he finished the story. He didn't need to frighten these children with how his comrades were ether trampled, or thought to the invading nin, and killed. He himself only suffered a broken arm and a few broken ribs, where as Daisuke, who had survived being trampled, suffered much worse.

Sasuke barely made it back to the Suna camp alive. He was hauling the broken Daisuke on his back, and had been moving for a near day straight. It was only sheer dumb luck that Sakura had been patrolling that certain camp. She made quick work of his wounds, and gave him a few scolding words before sealing it off with a chaste kiss.

Various shouts of 'sugoi' clogged Sasuke's ears as he sighed internally. He was looking forward to sleeping in his large and soft bed in the Uchiha district, and maybe teaching Osshii the Katon: Gokakkyuu.

He was also looking forward to seeing how much his little Sara had grown. He was sent into active duty when she was little more than a week old. Sakura had been sent later that month. Her medical talents were sorely needed. And thus Ino's reputation as Konoha's Babysitter was born.

* * *

Ino sneezed loudly. Sai smiled at her kindly and shifted the year and a half old Haku at his waist. The boy was an anomaly. His hair was a creamy brown, a mix of his parent's, unlike his sister and brother, and his eyes enchanted Ino. His left eye was aquamarine, as Ino's was, and his right eye was a dark brown, taking after Sai.

Sara, now about 6 months old, started to cry. The sneeze startled her. Ino patted her black hair and the girl started to calm down. A patter in the long halls of the Yamanaka state caught Ino's attention. A girl stopped at the door, her blonde hair messy, and her face red from breathing hard.

"Oka-chan! Osshi-nii is being mean! He tried to put bugs in my hair! Nii-nii too! He gave Osshi-nii the bugs!" Ino sighed heavily. A heavier patter was heard and a boy with onyx eyes and bright pink hair stopped behind Inoshi, giving the girl a small shoved.

"Oba-san! Don't listen to her! We weren't putting bugs in her hair, we were getting them out! Shishi-chan is just being a baby!" Inisho stuck her tongue out at the Uchiha boy. Ino sighed again, and said,

"Stop it you too. Nazo-kun too, I can hear you sneaking around. Osshi peered around from where he came from, and pulled the taller dark haired boy into the room. Nazo held a look of annoyance on his face as he shook the Uchiha off of him.

"Here, you three, I need some groceries. Consider this a d rank mission. I have a list here, and there should be enough money for the groceries, and one, I repeat, one bowl of Ichiraku ramen. Try not to stay out too late, and please be back before dinner. Nazo-kun, make sure your sister doesn't get lost, she's only 6." Nazo nodded and Inoshi giggled. Latching onto Osshi's arm, the blonde giggled and led him towards the veranda to get their sandals.

* * *

End Chapter 38

Got my internet back, expect more chapters, more often! Yay! -Mog


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

* * *

Satoshi sighed and leaned the back of his head against the grungy wall of the cave he was currently occupying. The sound of his redheaded partner blowing a loud raspberry, followed by squeals of laughter made him smile.

Tatari laughed along with the barely 6 month old baby that sat in front of her. Leaning down to blow another raspberry on his stomach, she was careful to be gentle around the still unhealed spiral over his heart.

The baby squealed with laughter again, making tears start to form in his ruby eyes. Tatari ran her fingers through his thin mop of white hair and sighed.

"Do we have enough money to buy something other than bread? I think that Byakko-chan here can start eating solids. Maybe a fruit?" Satoshi opened his eyes, but didn't respond right away. Tatari sighed and focused her attention back to the baby, relishing her prize from that awful night, almost 5 months prior.

_Tatari shifted her feet anxiously, concentrating on the sound of her black cloak swishing to keep her mind undistracted._

_She had been heartily surprised that Rikuri had died giving birth, as she had gotten the impression that the woman was tough, being from Iwagakure, and couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for her._

_The leader looked unphazed when he deleivered the news to the remaining group, although when he showed his son off, Tatari could hear pride dripping from his voice._

_It made her angry, to know that Rikuri had been used soley as a birthing machine. Tatari clenched her fists as she waited for the white haired man to show his face._

"_Kasumi no Kiri has failed this mission." A voice boomed suddenly across the hideout. Yamato flinched, and Satoshi stiffened. Tatari didn't know what to feel. On one hand, she always felt sorrow for those who die, a remnant of the fact she was a human, and not a proper shinobi tool, and on the other hand, she felt a smudge of satisfaction that she immediately snubbed out._

"_H…how?" Yamato croaked out. Tatari saw the leader of the organization called Manjuushage step out from the shadows. In his arms he carried proudly a three week old baby with matching white hair and red eyes._

"_Fire, Lightening, and Water were all rescued, and she was on guard. Not much of a guard. You three must fetch the escapees as soon as possible or my plan will go to ruin! You have a week, a week and a half at most to get them back here or Byakko's chakra system will stabilize." Tatari shifted._

"_Is that the boy's name then? Byakko?" The leader gazed at Tatari, his red eyes boring into her head._

"_Yes. Rikuri wished it on her deathbed. Being a fair and pleasant man, I opted to grant the woman's wish, seeing as she bore me a healthy and fine son." Tatari shrank back a little and nodded._

"_Now what are you all waiting for? Go!" The leader shouted. Tatari flinched and disappeared in a puff of smoke and leaves._

_Holding her injured shoulder, she unconsciously hid behind Satoshi as he performed a jutsu that wiped out the remaining invading nin. Closing her eyes and breathing hard, she could feel every bruise that littered her body._

_The tan haired man from Kumo turned to her and quickly healed the gash on her arm so that it was no more than an angry looking scar._

"_Are you alright, any other hurts?" he asked her in his low toned voice. Tatari nodded._

"_I'm a bit bruised up, but I can live with it." She said with a shaky smiled. Satoshi gave a rare grin before dashing off into the tunnel that lead to the main chamber._

_Tatari had stayed back to gain her composure when a large explosion shook the entire foundation. Pebbles and dust were falling from the ceiling, and worry ripped through her stomach. _

_Dashing through the tunnel that Satoshi had disappeared into moments before, she came out into the chamber and was promptly slammed into the stone wall, knocking her out instantly._

* * *

Drip…drip…drip…_ was all Tatari was aware of. The steady dripping was calming, but annoying at the same time. The red haired nukenin tried to open her eyes, but found they were stuck shut. Moaning quietly, she shifted slightly and immediately regretted it._

_Pain raked her entire body, causing her gasp. But determined not to give up, she slowly moved her arm, the one that felt unbroken, towards her face. Placing her fingertips over her eyes, she felt a crusty substance that had dried them shut._

_Tatari shuddered when she realized that it was blood. Dampening her fingers in her mouth, she slowly massaged her eyelids until they came unstuck. Opening her eyes, she was glad that the light was dim._

_Carefully and painfully sitting up, she looked around at the room. The entire chamber area was a mess of rubble and bodies. Most of the dust had settled, which made Tatari wonder how long she had been out._

_Holding her pounding arm close to her, she stood up and tried to limp off her stiffness. Glad to see that most of her pain came from the earlier brusises, and not broken bones, she started to rummage around for survivors._

_Each body she saw that didn't look absolutely mutilated, she pressed her fingers into their neck, only to find no pulse. Sighing, she moved onto the next corpse._

_Tatari didn't know how long she had been checking corpses, but when she placed her fingers on the neck of a young man from Kumogakure, she jumped when she felt a pulse. Looking around his body, she was glad that he wasn't being crushed under anything, because she didn't have the strength to pull him out._

_Instead she turned him over and dragged him a few feet out into the open._

"_Don't worry kid. If I can, I'll make sure you live. Kami-sama, what a catastrophe…" The young shinobi gave a small groan, and his lip twitched, but other than that, he remained still. Tatari sighed and left him to continue her search._

_A small cry reached Tatari's ears, and she jumped a foot. After her heart stopped trying to kill her, she tried to find the cry. A good ten minutes of searching led her to a small platform that was covered in debris and bodies._

_Poking around, she finally came upon a black cloak. Her gut panged with recognition, and she scrambled up to the ledge._

"_A..ah…Leader-sama? A…are you alive?" Carefully placing her fingers on his slender and almost feminine neck, she confirmed to herself that no, he was certainly not alive. The cry sounded again, but it was coming from under the leader._

_Rolling him over, she saw that he was laying on a fissure in the rock, and laying awkwardly, but safely inside of the crack, was the white haired baby._

"_B-byakko-chan?" She said, the baby cried louder and she reached down and managed to pull the boy out. Surprised that he was not harmed more than a few scratches and scrapes, she held the boy closely, and let him suck on her finger, which, thankfully, made his screams subside. Only giving an occasional gurgle now and then, Byakko seemed quite content with her finger._

"_Ta…Tatari…?" a rasping voice called out. Tatari struggled to her feet._

"_Satoshi-kun? Where are you? Don't stop talking!" The voice sounded again, feeble and wordless, but proof that the tan haired man was alive._

_Satoshi's situation was a bit harder than the Boy from Kumo's. Satoshi leg was under a rock, but thankfully, after using her entire body weight, Tatari was able to push it enough so that Satoshi could pull his leg out. _

_Collapsing on the ground again, Satoshi was panting, both from pain and exerstion. Byakko was screaming again, and Tatari starting to get a headache. Holding her head and her tears, she put the baby on Satoshi, who was barely able to stay conscious enough to hold the boy, and dragged him towards one of the lesser destroyed tunnels._

"_Don't worry Satoshi. I'll take you to one of the hidden cellars. We can rest there until we can leave. The cloud must be wondering where their nin are." Satoshi grunted, and Byakko gurgled as he sucked on Satoshi's index finger._

_It took her a while, but after getting lost twice, Tatari managed to find an old cellar that was filled with scrolls. Propping Satoshi up in the back corner she said, _

"_Here, keep the boy, I need to go get some blankets, and wood for a fire, and I need to get that other boy. Maybe some food too. Just rest. Rest." She said. The tan haired man nodded drowsily, and Tatari noticed that Byakkou was starting to fall asleep as well. Smiling, she left the room in search of the items she desired._

* * *

"_Mmnnnn…Ta…Tatari?" Satoshi said, Tatari jumped. She had been staring at the small fire she had made from a table she stole from the living quarters. The young shinobi from Kumo was still out cold, but he had swatted at Tatari with his arm, proving that he would probably wake up after a few good days rest._

"_Satoshi-kun…How are you feeling? I looked through some of these scrolls, and a lot of them proved to be interesting." Pulling out a strip of jerky, she handed it to Satoshi and said, _

"_One of them has a bunch of dried food in it. Its pretty cool. Here, have some water too." She said, handing him a canteen full of suiton produced water_

_Satoshi drained the canteen and looked at it disdainfully. Tatari made a single seal and from her fingertips poured cool water. Filling the canteen, Satoshi grunted in thanks, and Tatari smiled weakly._

"_How long have we been here?" the tan haired man asked._

_Tatari looked at the small bundle beside her and said, _

"_About a week. I want to make that we wont get caught. I've been scouting around, placing genjutsu's to confuse and disguise this place. This morning I scouted and a few more nins had come to look for the bodies in the ruins. We can leave in a few days. When this boy wakes up." Tatari said, running her hands over said boy's forehead. The boy moaned and shifted his head._

Tatari's red hair brushed over the white haired baby's stomach and peals of laughter echoed off the walls of the cave Tatari and Satoshi lived in. The boy, who never gave his name, had woken up and freaked out. He knocked Tatari out with a rock, and escaped. Satoshi was still too weak to stop him, so he did his best to make sure that Tatari wouldn't have a headache when she woke up.

"I can see if I can get a small job guarding or something tomorrow morning. Maybe at the hospital or shelter, or whatever they have here." Tatari smiled and said,

"I can bring Byakko-chan with me and get a pity job." Satoshi grimaced but brushed his hand across her cheek.

"Don't worry. Everything will work out, and Byakko will not starve, and neither will we." Tatari smiled and a tear made it's way down her cheek.

"I love you Satoshi-kun. I hope you know that." Satoshi smiled and nodded.

"I know. I love you too."

* * *

"Katoki-kun, wait a minute…" Hinata said, her face a shade of red. Naruto looked over his shoulder, covering his grimace.

"Is everything alright?" Hinata looked down and blushed.

"A-ano…Do you think we can stop…My ankles and my back hurts…" Naruto almost laughed, but decided that laughing at a pregnant woman wasn't the smartest thing he could have done.

"Ah…Can I carry you instead? We're kinda on a time limit. Right, Ero-sennin?" Jiraiya twitched at the name.

"Gaki, how many times have I told you not to call me that!" Hinata stifled a laugh, but couldn't help but think how similar these two behaved compared to the times she saw the Gama Sennin when she was younger.

"So can I carry you? I'de rather not stop now…" Hinata blushed again and said,

"Yes…I supp-OSE!" Hinata shouted as Naruto swept her up bridal style and following Jiraiya's lead, continued to dash in the forest.

Hinata stared at Naruto's chest and watched a small bump swing methodically. Without thinking much, she raised her hand up and touched the bump. Naruto twitched and looked down at her.

"Hinata-chan…?" Naruto said. Hinata's hands twitched back to her stomach.

"C-can I s-see your neck-k-lace?" She said nervously. Naruto shifted uncomfortably.

"Wha- Why? What's interesting about it?" The blonde said nervously. Hinata watched him shift his cerulean eyes and said, in a slightly stronger voice,

"I saw it once…at Matsuri-san's house. It reminded me of something…can I not just fiddle with it? I swear I wont lose it." Naruto looked frantically for a reason to refuse her, but finally nodded his head. Hinata smiled a little and reached up around his neck to slip the necklace off. As she pulled it off, her nails grazed his cheek sending shivers down his spine.

Twirling the green stone in her fingers, Naruto desperately hoped she didn't recognize it.

"Who…who gave it to you? Do you remember?" Naruto gave a curt nod.

"A woman who I considered a mother gave it to me." Hinata smiled and turned it around in her fingers again. Putting the necklace on herself, she smiled up at Naruto.

Naruto gave a weak smile and tightened his grip on the pregnant woman.

Jiraiya raised his arm and held his hand up straight. Naruto nodded and stopped running, jerking Hinata awake.

"A-ah?" She mumbled. Naruto placed her gently on her feet and looked at Jiraiya.

"Gaki, change your shirt, and take your leg pouch off. You two are entering the town separately. I'm too well known, and right now, I'm not exactly safe. Hinata-san, change into a dress, if you have one. If not, then something that doesn't scream 'shinobi'. Look for the café called Cat's Eye. There is an inn above it. Stay there for tonight. I will meet you there tomorrow morning. I need to get some information." Naruto snorted and Jiraiya shot him a look.

"Hai." Naruto said sharply. Jiraiya nodded and left via trees. Naruto put his bag down and pulled out a baggy civilian shirt.

"Hinata, did you pack any dresses?" Hinata shook her head.

"I don't have any that fit me while I'm like…this." Naruto nodded and pulled out another civilian shirt he brought.

"Here. I know you have some, but mine is thicker, I don't want you getting sick." Hinata was about to protest, but decided to roll her eyes instead. Taking the shirt, she quickly changed, and Naruto shoved her jacket back into the bag. Hinata rubbed her arms, and Naruto draped his cloak around her shoulders.

"This looks a bit shinobi-ish, don't you think?" Hinata asked, as the two made their way to the road. Naruto shook his head and said,

"Bah. We look odd, without our uniforms on. It's good enough." Hinata giggled, but was cut off as they approached the gates.

"Halt! Who goes there?" The guard said. Katoki stepped forward and said,

"Please, sir. We've been travelling for a week, and my wife needs proper rest…she's having my child, as you can see…" Naruto said in a slick voice as he pushed Hinata forward. Hinata made a show of rubbing her stomach, but still blushed heartily.

The guard looked at Hinata, but said,

"Alright. If you want, I can give you the name of a good comfy place to sleep." Naruto shook his head.

"That's fine. I was recommended a place by a friend already. Thank you though." The guard nodded and paused before saying,

"Oh? Really now. Which place? I can tell you if it's good or not."

"It's the Ca-"

"Uhhhn…My baby…" Hinata said, clutching her stomach, and successfully interrupted the two's conversation.

"Hi..Hina-chan! I'm sorry, I must get her someplace to rest." Naruto said as he ushered Hinata into the village. Hinata continued to moan and grab her stomach until the guard was out of sight. Stopping, she looked up and said,

"Katoki-kun! You almost revealed our place of stay! You're an ANBU act like one!" If Naruto had fox ears, they would have flattened.

"G-gomen… I almost let it slip…how stupid." Hinata shook her head and gave Naruto a peck on one of his scars.

* * *

Hinata sighed and tapped her fingers against the window of the café inn. It was raining, and her sight of the street below was wavy as the water fell in sheets down the windows. She had taken another small nap in their small room, but when she woke up the self proclaimed Uzumaki found herself alone, with not even a note to explain Naruto's disappearance.

In her other hand she held the green stone necklace, slowly rolling it between her fingers. She had seen it before, she was sure.

The green stone glinted in the feeble light of the bare bulb that flickered occasionally whenever the wind blew especially hard. Two small metal beads accompanied the stone, which clinked softly when they hit the main stone.

_BAM!_ Hinata jumped and her heart pounded furiously in her chest. The door had been slammed open, and a shout was heard from down the hall. A soaking wet blonde strode into the small room holding a parcel into his chest.

"What is wrong with you! I wake up and find you gone, no note, and now you burst through the door, giving me a heart attack?" Naruto took a step back when he noticed that his very angry girlfriend was staring at him with her fully activated Byakugan, which only made her look angrier. He took another step back when he noticed that she was starting to collect chakra into her hands as if to charge a Jyuuken strike.

"Hi-Hinata-chan…?" Hinata slid her foot back and said,

"Don't you Hinata-chan me! Explain yourself!" raising her hand, Naruto jumped and said quickly,

"I bought us some food! You fell asleep and I didn't want to wake you up because of the baby, you need your rest." Hinata felt most of her anger drain away. A small blush of embarrassment threatened to rise, but Hinata fought it down.

"I-I forgot a note…sorry, I didn't think that you would wake…I bought you dango…" Hinata lost her battle and her face flushed so fast that spots started to dance around her vision. Sitting down sharply and put her hand on her face and Naruto rushed to her side.

"Are you ok? Is everything alright?" Hinata nodded and said in a quiet voice,

"G-gomen...I-I d-didn't mean t-to yell…" Naruto laughed and kissed her, his cold, wet lips feeling slightly gross to Hinata.

Suddenly, Hinata backed her head up. Both her hands flew to her stomach and she made a strangled noise.

"What, what? What's wrong?" He said looking down at Hinata's protruding stomach. Hinata rubbed her stomach for a moment before jumping again.

"Whaaat!" Naruto bordered on whining. Hinata grabbed Naruto's hand and pressed it against her stomach.

"He kicked! Can you feel it?" Hinata pressed Naruto's hand into her stomach, and the baby kicked again, this time startling Naruto.

"Wow he can kick! Takes after his old man!" Hinata giggled and Naruto flashed a trademark grin.

"So…uh…does it hurt?" Hinata looked up at Naruto.

"Does what hurt?" rose dusted Naruto's cheeks and he said,

"When he kicks, or moves, or anything?" Hinata smiled gently.

"No, it doesn't hurt. It just feels like a small shove. He doesn't move very often, it's too early for that. When I was pregnant with Kouden, he didn't start moving around a lot until I was about 7 months along." Naruto smiled, and sadly watched the mother of his children hide the pain in her lavender eyes.

"Let's eat and go to sleep. We are going to be travelling a lot tomorrow." Hinata nodded and smiled at Naruto.

* * *

Tsunade stared at the letter in her hand. Her mouth was agape, and her ears muted out all noises, despite the loud festival that played around her.

A polite letter from the Raikage informed her that Katoki had run off with Hinata again. The various raptors in the delivery room squawked at the noise from the village wide party below. Crunching the letter in her hand, her face turned into one of rage.

Stomping out of the room Tsunade missed the storage closet door burst open. A red faced Shizune and an unmasked Kakashi tumbled out. Shizune gave a drunken squeal before picking herself up to say,

"D-did you hear summat, Kakashi-senpai?" Kakashi waved his bottle of sake around and said, equally slurring,

"Nome, ma'am. I shink you should just…back in closet." He finished with another wave of his bottle and Shizune let out another peal of laughter, closing in on the copy nin's face.

* * *

4 days of near non stop travelling, and Hinata started to recognize the landscape.

"We're in fire country!" She exclaimed from Naruto's arms. Jiraiya gave a quick nod and said,

"We will be at the camp tomorrow. But for now, I want to travel for another few minutes and find a suitable place to camp." Katoki nodded, and after scouting out a hidden away natural cave, it wasn't long before Hinata found herself tucked away warmly with Naruto.

"How are you holding up?" Naruto asked. Hinata blushed slightly and said,

"I'm not doing very much running…I should be asking you that question, you've practically carried me the entire way." Naruto plastered a large grin on his face before leaning in to say,

"No matter! You're light! I consider it training, especially how I have to be careful with the baby." Hinata scoffed and said,

"I'm not made of glass. I can be jostled around a bit. Kouden withstood a lot more stress that this." Naruto just grinned and Hinata continued in a low voice.

"Naruto-kun used to say that…He used to say that everything was training for him." Naruto felt a pang of guilt throb through his chest, and a dark rumble filled the back of his mind.

"_**Tell her soon kit. Before you meet your own kit. The Vixen deserves to know."**_ Naruto wrinkled his nose.

"_I know, I know. I'm getting on it…" _The large fox demon snorted, but didn't say anything.

"Katoki-kun? Are you ok? You spaced out…" Hinata's soft voice broke through his thoughts. Naruto put on another grin and said,

"Well, it seems this Naruto fellow was a bit of a bastard for leaving you, but an all around good guy." Hinata nodded and curled up further into herself.

The sat like that, watching the fire for a while before Naruto couldn't help but ask,

"Has he been kicking lately?" Hinata looked up and said,

"Not so much now, it's night, and thankfully he sleeps at night. Kouden slept through the day, and kept me up all night. But here, feel, he shifted, you can feel his butt." Naruto let Hinata push his hand into her stomach until he felt something hard.

"Does it hurt when I push like that? I mean, it feels like I'm pushing hard." Hinata giggled and said,

"No, no. It doesn't hurt at all. It just feels like you are pressing into my stomach." Naruto grinned nervously and jumped when the hard lump moved. Pulling his hand away, Hinata laughed out loud.

"He just moved, Katoki-kun. You didn't do anything."

"You sure?" Hinata nodded and giggled again.

A while passed and Naruto watched Hinata nod off to sleep.

"_**You're chance of not screwing things over completely is slipping away, kit."**_ Kyuubi rumbled at the back of his head.

"_Shut up. I don't suppose you have any ideas that wont get me hit with Jyuuken, do you?"_ The fox snorted again, but it sounded suspiciously like laughter to the blonde.

"_**I just might. Wake her up, and press her hand to your seal."**_

"_What? Why? Kyuubi? Kyuubi!"_ The fox didn't answer, but Naruto still felt his presence. Furrowing his brow, he shook Hinata's shoulder gently.

"Hinata-chan? Can you wake up for a minute or two?" The indigo haired woman moaned and tried to roll over. Naruto shook her a bit harder and she groaned louder, but opened one of her white eyes.

"Nnn, what?" She said, slightly angry that she was being woken up. Grabbing her hand, Naruto lifted his shirt and placed her hand on the black spiral seal that decorated his abdomen. Hinata's eyes widened when she saw the seal, but after a moment, everything turned black.

* * *

Chapter 39 End 


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

* * *

Hinata opened her eyes and gasped. She was no longer cuddled up in the small cave, but instead standing at the end of a long hall. Looking down, she saw that her feet were in an inch or so of water, and she unconsciously used chakra to raise herself above it. Looking around at the walls, she noticed that they were made of cement, and had pipes running along them.

The Hyuuga's heart dropped to her feet when a hand placed it self on her shoulder. Spinning around she almost threw up with relief when she saw Naruto.

"Katoki-kun," she hissed, "Where are we? Didn't Jiraiya-sama tell us to stay close?" Naruto scratched the back of his head, and Hinata glared at him.

"Ehh, so this is what the stupid fox had in mind. Ahh, Hinata-chan, I'm about to make your wishes come true." Hinata narrowed her eyes again and Naruto pushed her forward gently.

A low rumble slightly shook the hall, dust and water fell from the ceiling and Hinata jumped.

"What was that? K-katoki-kun?" Naruto didn't look at her, but kept his eyes on the small light that was slowly approaching them.

"My closest friend, my worst enemy, my saviour. You're about to meet him in person. Not a lot of people have done this and lived to tell about it." Naruto quickly regretted his words as he saw the colour drawing out of Hinata's face.

They approached the light, and Naruto stepped out into the large, familiar room, with Hinata following quickly behind him, her arms wrapped around the blonde's.

"So this was your big plan, eh Furball?" Hinata looked up at Naruto and wondered who he was talking too. Another rumble, louder this time, shook the area, and Hinata squeaked.

"**Such disrespect. But alas, the Vixen looks much better in person than she does in your memories Kit."** Hinata let out a little scream. Naruto looked down on her, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan. He's harmless as long as he is sealed behind those bars." Hinata looked at the bars, and her eyes saw an old piece of paper with the kanji for 'seal' on it.

"**Harmless until I break out and eat you for such insolence."** Hinata started to breath quickly, and she grabbed onto Naruto. Naruto glared at Kyuubi and said,

"Would you give it a break? She's not exactly in great condition for your teasing." The monstrous voice laughed and Hinata squeaked again.

"**Why don't you introduce me to your lovely vixen, and then I can introduce **_**you**_**." **Naruto hesitated, but turned to Hinata and said,

"Hinata, what I'm about to tell you is an S Class secret No one our age knows about it, and a lot of the people who did, are probably dead from wars and old age." Hinata nodded, but eyed the large cage.

"About 30 years ago…31 almost to the day in fact, the great Hero of Konohagakure fought with…"

"The Kyuubi, yes, I know. Yondaime-sama died killing it to make our village safe. This is academy stuff, but it's not common knowledge to other villages. Did you remember where you grew up?" Naruto blinked, and Hinata blushed.

"G-gomen…please continue." Naruto nodded and said,

"Yes, I remembered where I grew up. But that's not the point. The point is that you are wrong, the books are wrong, everyone was lied too. When the Yondaime fought Kyuubi, he did die, but he didn't kill Kyuubi. Kyuubi was much too powerful for that." A rumble that sounded suspiciously like a laugh came from the cage, and Hinata squeaked again.

"Yondaime, in a desperate attempt to save the village, used a forbidden jutsu on the fox, and sealed him inside a newborn baby whose umbilical cord had just been severed. The forbidden jutsu was the same one that killed the Sandaime when he tried to seal Orochimaru away into himself."

"How horrible! What happened to the baby? Where is Kyuubi now?" Naruto looked at her, and then looked at the cage. Hinata followed his gaze to the bars, and slowly she saw what was in them.

"A…ah…KYAAAAAAAAA!!" She shrieked. The large fox folded his ears back onto his head and Naruto quickly clamped his hand over her mouth. Hinata continued to breathe wildly for a few more seconds before she turned her head to Naruto and said,

"K-k-k-k-k-k-k…." Naruto shook his head and said,

"He's harmless. He's been living in me for 31 years, and his seal hasn't gotten any weaker. In fact, he's almost completely merged with me. And when he merges, he will be nothing but a presence, annoying me for the rest of my life." Kyuubi gave a large snort, and Hinata jumped again.

"A-a-are y-you s-sure?" Naruto nodded and Kyuubi said,

"**Calm down. I would not lower myself to killing pregnant women."** Hinata stopped trembling, not sure whether to be relieved, or annoyed at his tone of voice.

"He's arrogant, but after you get used to him, he's actually a good friend. I found out about him when Mizuki told me when I was 12. I had just failed my genin exams for the third time, and he had tricked me into stealing a forbidden scroll." Both Naruto and Hinata's eyes widened. Naruto's face drained of colour.

"Mi-Mizuki-sensei…?" She whispered out. Naruto nodded weakly and Kyuubi gave a great laugh.

"**Lovely Vixen, meet the one and only, Konoha's stupidest shinobi, and the father of both your Kits, Uzumaki Naruto."**

To say that Hinata was in shock was an understatement. Looking at Kyuubi's sadistic grin, she turned her head back to Naruto. He stood a few feet away from her, and his face was devoid of colour.

"You…your scars…your necklace… that scar on your shoulder f-from Sasuke-san… the one from my O-Otou-sama… N-Naruto…?"

"Y-Yea?" Hinata looked up form her hands directly into Naruto's cerulean eyes.

"W-why?" Naruto looked shocked. Looking at Kyuubi, and then back to Hinata, he saw the remaining colour drain from her face as he eyes rolled into her head. He ran forward and caught her as she collapsed, but she disappeared a second later. Naruto panicked for a second, but quickly brought himself out of his mind, and woke in the cave.

Hinata woke up half a second later, and looked up at her cave-mate. Her mouth gaped and she scrambled out of the cave, shouting,

"Why!? Why, if you were alive all along, did you leave me to raise our child _ALONE?_" She shrieked the last part, and a few birds fluttered out of the trees and into the sky. Jiraiya rolled over and rubbed his eyes.

"Ugghh?" He grunted, but stopped when he saw Hinata shouting at Naruto.

"I went through almost 16 YEARS of nightmares! Reliving the event over and over in my head. Where were you!?" She shouted, her shoulders drooped and she started to sob, but when Naruto tried to get closer to her, she pushed him away.

"No! No! Tell me why first!" She sobbed. Jiraiya had figured out what had happened and had wisely scuffled back to the camp line.

"I…Hinata-chan…I didn't know…" Naruto said breathily.

"You didn't what? That I was a 17 year old mother? Or that I was run out of the village for _killing_ you? Did you know that? My own father sent Neji-ni-san to kill me and cover up his mistake." Hinata spat out angrily.

"No…I didn't know…I didn't know that I was me! I didn't remember who I was until you were stabbed in Suna!" Hinata sobs turned into heaving tears as she cried out 16 years of suppressed agony. Naruto took a step closer, and when Hinata didn't turn or stop him, he rushed over to her and enveloped her in a tight hug.

Naruto felt it. He felt her shoulders quiver, and then her back. Hinata cried out loudly and her hands wrapped around her stomach.

"My…My baby!" She screamed. Jiraiya was on his feet and reached the two just as Hinata fell to her knees, still clutching her stomach and crying out in pain.

"Ero-sennin, what do I do? I don't know any medical jutsu!" Jiraiya looked at Hinata's face and grimaced. She was covered in sweat and her face was contorted into one of pain.

"The camp is an hour's jump away, if we go as fast as we can. Try not to jostle her. There's a medic at camp." Naruto nodded and scooped Hinata up, doing his best not to jostle her too much.

* * *

Sitting up, a tall woman in her early twenties stood up, her white hair cascading down her back. Rubbing her eyes, and unknowingly smudging her red eyeliner, Natsumi frowned at the commotion that had woken her up.

Looking over the two lumps at the corner she frowned. If Shiro and Kouden were sleeping, then who was making such a ruckus outside?

Pulling on a dark red yukata, Natsumi rubbed her arms, and pushed the tatami mat that hung as a door to the small cabin. Peering out into the area around the cabin, Natsumi squinted in the pre-dawn light.

"…Hello? Is someone there?" She called tentatively. Another branch broke, and Natsumi was surprised and elated to see Jiraiya gracefully land in the dirt, followed by a blonde man carrying a woman who seemed to be moaning in pain, both of whom she didn't recognize.

"T-Tou-chan?" Natsumi called out. Jiraiya twitched and Naruto looked at the white haired man.

"Tou-chan?" Naruto asked, sounding shocked. He suddenly grinned and said slyly, "More like Ero-Tou." Jiraiya whipped his head around and said,

"Shut it, brat." Jiraiya snapped. Natsumi blinked and said,

"What's wrong with that woman? And quick, come in; just try not to wake the boys up." Naruto moved quickly into the hut and placed Hinata down in the corner. Her face was covered in sweat, and she was still holding her stomach and moaning.

"Natsumi-chan, please check her baby…something might be wrong, she just collapsed and started crying out in pain." Natsumi gasped and knelt down across from Naruto. Her hands lit up in a glowing green fire, and she pressed her hands to Hinata's stomach. After a few moments, she said,

"She's fine for now. Too much stress can cause fake labours…pretty much muscle cramps. She's going to have to take it easy for a while." Natsumi pulled away form a very much relieved looking Naruto. Going through a few seals, the fire on her hands changed colour form green to blue. Placing her hand on Hinata's clammy forehead, Hinata relaxed immediately and her breath evened out.

"There, she's sleeping. She should sleep into the morning."

"Thank you…Um, I'm sorry. I never got your name…"

"Natsumi."

"Natsumi-san. I'm eternally in your debt." Natsumi blushed and looked away.

"And who might I add are you? Bombarding into my camp with two recovering boys…Tou-chan, you know better." The white haired woman sent her father a sharp look. Naruto sat back and said,

"Sorry…My name is Uzumaki Naruto, thank you for saving…well she might as well be my wife…Ahh…Natsumi-san! I remember Ero-sennin mentioning you now! Thanks for saving my son…and Shiro as well." Natsumi giggled a little and Jiraiya coughed.

"…Hey wait! I though you were supposed to be dead! Kouden-kun liked to talk about you some..." Naruto winced.

"It turns out I didn't die, I just had a memory wipe that lasted fifteen years. It's a long story…" Natsumi sat back and said,

"Well, after we move… your wife, sorry, I didn't catch her name… You can tell me, I have all the time in the world, and now that it's dawn, there isn't any use getting back to sleep." Naruto looked at her and sighed, before reaching for Hinata.

* * *

Kouden's first sense to awaken was his sense of smell. Bacon he thought, and maybe morning rice balls. The second sense he got back was his hearing. Murmurs that gradually formed words. 

"…and that's when the sound nin stabbed my though arm. Luckily Hinata-chan was there, or I might have bled out." Kouden tried to think, but it was too early for that. He mindlessly listened in on the familiar voice talk until he realized something.

_Hey...Ka-san's name is Hinata!_ Snapping his eyes open he let the white orbs wander over the empty pile of blankets which indicated that Shiro was awake. Following his nose, Kouden peered over in the corner where he saw Natsumi, Shiro, and two people he had not seen in quite awhile.

Yawning, Kouden sat up and stretched. All eyes were directed towards him, and he blushed slightly when he realized that he was only wearing his black and orange uniform pants.

"Ehh…Ero-sennin? You're back! What took you so long? And…Ahh! Katoki-san! I didn't expect you of all people to be here! How is Ka-san?" He said. Naruto gazed at his blonde son and almost dropped his bacon covered riceball. A faded but thick scar ran across his face, and across his chest were numerous scars of varying sizes, the largest being one that would span his hand length across the bottom of his ribs.

"Kami-sama, Kouden! What happened to you?" Kouden blinked and looked down at himself.

"Ah…you mean the scars? Er, actually, I don't remember much of it. Ero-sennin said me and Shiro-teme tangled up with a pretty fierce Iwa shinobi who liked to play with blades. Needless to say, we both got our asses kicked. Ero-sennin said he barely managed to get us out of there alive. I think that if it wasn't for Natsumi-ne-chan, we'd probably be dead. Of course, I always healed a little faster than usual…" This time, Naruto did drop his riceball.

"You…Heal fast?" Kouden nodded and beamed.

"Ero-sennin said that I inherited it from Tou-sama, although he said that I don't heal as fast as him. Just faster than usual." Naruto sighed and looked at Jiraiya. The old man's face was tired looking.

"Where is Ka-san, isn't she usually with you?" Kouden asked again. Naruto looked over in the corner and Kouden followed his eyes.

The body in the corner moved and Kouden gave an excited gasp. He made as if to crawl over to her, but Naruto raised his hand and said,

"Don't! Stop…She really needs rest right now…the trip here took a lot out of her." Kouden stopped and looked at Naruto.

"A-alright…"

"Come, have some breakfast, Kouden-kun, you must be starved!" Kouden grinned and pulled a white tee over his head before joining them.

Once Kouden had shoved a riceball into his face, Naruto couldn't resist but to ask Kouden questions.

"So…Tell me about yourself, Kouden? I still don't really know you. Tell me about your child hood." Kouden paused for a moment before saying,

"About my childhood? Well, me and Ka-san lived in a cabin that she built out in the woods, about a two hour run from a little fishing village that Sasami-chan and her father lived in. Her Ni-san lived there as well, but he left after a bit. I don't really remember him, I only met him once. Tou-sama died before I was born. Ka-san won't tell me how he died, but it must have been horrible… she used to cry in her sleep when I was a little kid all the time, and before I went to Konoha, she used to space out all the time. I trained to be a shinobi since I could walk properly, according to Ka-san.

Just before I turned nine, I met Kakashi-sensei by the docks in the village, and he talked with Ka-san, and a month later, Neji-ni-san and Shika-ni-san came to pick me up and take me back to Konoha. We stopped at another village along the way…I met a lot of people there too…Sakura-ne-chan and Sasuke-san and Osshi…He's their son, if you didn't know. He's got really dark eyes, and really bright pink hair, like Sakura-ne-chan! Ero-sennin told me that the last time he talked to a contact in Konoha, Sakura-ne-chan was having another baby…but it'd be born by now…and probably a few months old." Kouden smiled and Naruto almost laughed.

"Oh yea! I also met Ino-san and Nazo… at the time Ino was having a baby, a little blonde girl named Inoshi-chan! She's shy though." Naruto leaned forward.

"Who's the father?" Naruto asked, for he couldn't think of anyone who would have kids with Konoha's other loudmouth blonde.

"Sai-san. He's nice, doesn't talk much. Nazo looks a lot like him."

"Sai? Are you serious? Does that mean he…er…?" Naruto burst out. Kouden tilted his head.

"You know him?" Naruto nodded and said,

"Errr, yea. I uhh, I met him when I was 15, on an information gathering mission. He was strange back then. But, uh... go on." Kouden watched Naruto for a second before continuing.

"But yea, I stayed with Neji-ni-san, Tenten-ne-chan, and Aiko-chan. She's their daughter, and my adopted little sister. Technically, in Konoha, My name is Hyuuga Kouden…but I prefer Uzumaki."

Naruto nodded. And said,

"Yea, it's a good name. I like it." Kouden grinned widely and Naruto was struck with a feeling of nostalgia. This kid looked nearly exactly like he did when he was his age, except that he was taller. Probably from not living off ramen.

"Yea, well, there isn't much after that…I got into academy a year early with Sasami, because we both had prior training, and we graduated when we were 11. Shiro-teme was twelve, so he's way older."

"Dobe. I'm not even a year older than you. At least my girlfriend's younger than me." Kouden frowned angrily.

"Teme, she's only 3 months older! At least I wasn't a chuunin dating an academy student!" Jiraiya coughed and Natsumi stifled a giggle. Shiro turned a brilliant shade of red, and stuffed a riceball into his mouth to cover it up.

"Chuunin? Kouden, are you a chuunin as well?" Kouden nodded and Naruto felt bested. Everyone, including his own son had become chuunin before he did.

"But anyway…I left with Jiraiya when I was 12, and I'm almost 15 now. How old are you, Katoki-san? If you don't mind me asking… When's your birthday?"

"Ahh…I'm almost 31. Same age as Hinata-chan. Ahh…I think, that my birthday is on the tenth of October." Kouden's eyes widened and Naruto couldn't help but notice that they were the same lavender colour as Hinata's.

"Cool! You have the same birthday as Tou-sama! Mine's on the 16th !" Naruto grinned weakly.

"K-Kouden…?" Kouden turned his torso and saw Hinata sitting up, rubbing her eyes.

"Y-you're…alive!"

* * *

Sasuke made his way down the dimly lit hall of his rather large house. Stopping at the third sliding door on the left side, he took a quick look at the hall that led to the kitchen where Sakura was fixing Osshi a midnight snack. 

Sliding the door open softly, he slid into the room and walked to the crib that was under the window. Bending over the side of the crib he gazed down at his daughter. Reaching down, he gently ran his fingers through her soft, raven coloured hair and sighed.

While it wasn't as hard as it was with Osshi, Sasuke still had a hard time believing that he had achieved his goal and revived his clan. Running a finger down her cheek, Sara squeezed her eye before yawning. She opened her eyes Sasuke admired their emerald depths.

"Sara-chan…it's Tou-san… Can you say Tou-san? Tou-san?" Sara gurgled and grabbed onto his hand, but didn't say anything.

"I never thought that I'd have a daughter, you know, Sara-chan? When I was younger, and all I could do was think about revenging our clan, I had always imagined that I would have a son. Maybe two. I didn't think, and to be honest, baby girl, I don't think I'd be a very good father to a girl…I guess Sakura-chan is there for that." Sasuke smiled at the girl, and she gave an opened mouth grin back.

Tickling her exposed belly softly, he made very un-Sasuke like cooing noises and succeeded in getting a laugh out of the young Uchiha.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke straightened immediately and turned around. Sakura was standing in the door way, wearing a pale green yukata that set her eyes and hair off perfectly. Holding her hand was a tired looking Osshi.

"I was…Just checking on Sara-chan. Just…you know. I'm not very good at this parenting thing." Sakura let her head tilt to the side and she said,

"It's alright. But instead of cooing to your daughter at midnight, maybe you should be letting her sleep? Be glad that she didn't get too attached to Ino. A happy baby that one is." Sakura said, more to herself. Sasuke's ears felt hot as he pushed embarrassment away.

"Ah-er…Osshi you look tired. Here, let me take you to your room and tuck you in. Ka-san can make your sister go back to sleep." Osshi just nodded sleepily and took Sasuke's offered hand.

As he led the pink haired boy down the hall to his room, he heard a snicker coming from Sara's nursery. Turning back to his son and heir, he led the boy to his room, and tucked him tight into his blankets.

Sasuke pushed a lock of pink hair out of Osshi's face and smiled.

"Oyasuminasi, Osshi." Osshi yawned and said,

"Su...nasai…Tou-san…" Leaving the large room, he was joined with Sakura in the hall as the two made their way towards the kitchen.

"It was really cute you know… And Sasuke, don't worry. You've done an excellent job with Osshi-chan so far, Sara's no different. When it comes to the real girly stuff, you shouldn't forget that you have a wife. Kami-sama." Sasuke's ears heated up again.

"Shut up woman! It was not cute!" Sakura giggled and led the raven haired Uchiha through the kitchen to the hall that led towards their bedroom.

* * *

End Chapter 40 


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

* * *

Kouden stared wide eyed at his mother.

"Ka-san! You're awake! I haven't seen you in a while!" Hinata raised a hand to her quivering lip. Her pale eyes were filled with tears. Kouden felt slightly embarrassed at the intensity of her stare. She flicked her eyes over to Naruto who grinned.

"W-where have you b-been?" She said quietly. Kouden scooted over to her and said,

"I was hurt really bad…I've been recovering…why? Did something happen?" Hinata reached out and ran her thumb across Kouden's scar.

"You were listed as d-dead…Shiro too… You caused a lot of people a lot of pain… why didn't you get treated in Konoha, or Suna?" Kouden turned his head and glared at Jiraiya.

"You didn't tell any one we were alive? What's wrong with you! Everyone must have been worried!" Jiraiya shrugged.

"I figured that when I bring home 4 dead Konoha nin, Tsunade would marry me." Naruto took the last part as a joke, and the twinkle in his eye confirmed his suspicions. Kouden paused.

"You mean three? Katoki-san is from Kumo, right?" The blonde boy said, looking at Naruto. Naruto just frowned and Kouden turned back to Jiraiya.

"What do you mean? Why is Katoki-san frowning?" Jiraiya looked at Naruto, and Naruto looked over at Hinata. Kouden looked up at his mother who was glaring at Naruto.

"No. You tell him. Then maybe you can tell him why you weren't there for him." Kouden was very confused. He tried to wrap his mind around what his mother had said when Naruto broke in.

"Uhh…Kouden…Do you like me?" Kouden, still trying to think just nodded.

"Umm…Like, how…? As a brother? Friend? …Father?" Kouden looked up at Naruto.

"…What?" Kouden blushed and looked away. "I guess…kinda like a father… you know, I never had one. I kinda…imagine what it's like with you, since, you know…you're with Ka-san anyway." Kouden was startled when he felt arms wrap around him. Looking up at his mother, he vaguely noticed a hard lump that kept them from being closer.

Hinata was crying, which was a strange sight for Kouden. As far as his memory served him, Hinata only cried when she thought she was alone.

"Ka-san…" He said quietly. Hinata hugged him harder and said in a tight voice.

"You were right…always right…" Kouden blinked and Naruto grimaced. Natsumi, Shiro, and Jiraiya looked slightly uncomfortable.

"W-what? Right about what?" Hinata started to sob, and Kouden resisted the urge to hug her.

"Y-your f-father…Th-this whole t-time… He's c-come home a-at last!" Kouden's eyes widened and he shot a look at Naruto, and back to Hinata. Hinata sobbed harder into Kouden's shoulder and nodded.

"Nice to meet you Kouden. I'm sorry I…missed out. If I had known… I'm Uzumaki Naruto; by the way…I'm sure you've heard about me…" The room was silent save for Hinata's sobs. Kouden could barely breathe, as it felt like he was being squeezed through a tube.

"N-Naruto…?" Kouden squeezed out. Naruto grimaced. This wasn't how he had planned on telling either of them.

* * *

Gaara laughed aloud when he read the letter. Matsuri started and Kaisa laughed as she stroked a wiggling fox.

"Aki, Aki! Come here!" Kaisa said, and the fox bounded over to her. Matsuri looked over at her husband, confused at the look of mirth on his face.

"Gaara? What's so funny…I haven't seen you laugh like that in a few years…" Gaara looked up from the letter and smiled again.

"That guy just can't help but piss off Tsunade. Like it's his life mission." Gaara said, and held the letter out to his wife.

Matsuri took the letter and scanned over it.

"Gaara, it seems that Hinata and Katoki have escaped my eyes yet again. They went back to Kumo, where I had intended to keep the girl until she gave birth. It's too dangerous for her to be travelling in her condition. If either of them show up in Suna, detain them, for Kami-sama's sake, I'm going to kill them both…Signed Tsunade." Matsuri finished and Gaara laughed again.

"I don't get it…what's so funny?" Gaara took the letter back and said,

"Matsuri…When I was 12, a few months before I met you, and before I started caring for Suna, I was used as a weapon. I was the Jinchuuriki for the Ichibi, and as you know, Shukaku was taken from me when I was 15. Well, when I first met a boy named Uzumaki Naruto, Shukaku became restless. There was something about him that Shukaku despised. Later, in the fight that helped me realize what true strength was, Naruto henged his summon into a gigantic nine tailed fox. It was then that Shukaku remembered why he didn't like the boy so much. He made sure that I knew Naruto was a Jinchuuriki as well. But the point is that, his chakra…Kyuubi's chakra, is not something one forgets." Gaara spun his chair around.

"When I first met Katoki, I felt the familiar chakra again, but I couldn't be sure. I couldn't say anything because it was different…different, yet the same, it's hard to explain. I didn't have Shukaku to rant on about it anymore, so I let it be. It wasn't until I saw his face that I was sure. But the lack of recognition in his eyes told me that something had happened to him. He probably didn't recognize anyone. The wild look on his face when you confronted him about your kidnapping most likely confused him more." Matsuri interrupted.

"Wait wait…Are you saying that Katoki-san is Naruto-san?" Gaara turned his chair again and said,

"Yes. I am. I suppose I ranted a bit there. Before he…died… he used to tease Tsunade like no other. I noticed that it resulted in a bond between the two…almost mother and son like. Naruto was an orphan, so he probably treasured it almost as much as he did Hinata's bond. But unless Naruto remember who he is, he's been pissing off Tsunade out of reflex. I just happen to find it amusing." Matsuri looked down at Kaisa, who was still playing with Aki.

"I feel bad for them…they lost a son…it must be hard, especially for Hinata-san…" Gaara's face turned stoic again, and he said,

"I can't imagine what it must have been like…those wounds never heal…" Gaara trailed off, thinking about his long dead uncle, who spoke similar words to him. A tug on his robe pulled him from his thoughts. Looking down he saw his red haired daughter. Her teal eyes staring up at him.

"Tou… 'm hungry… I wanna apple!" Gaara smiled and hoisted the girl up to his hip.

"All right Kaisa-chan. Let's get you an apple." He said and Kaisa hugged around his neck. Matsuri stooped and picked the vixen up.

"Gaara! Wait up!" She called, Gaara smiled and shifted daughter so that he could run faster.

* * *

A black haired boy brushed a pine needle off his shoulder and tucked his long bangs behind his ears. He quietly walked through the thinly treed forest. Stepping out into the small clearing beside a pond, Shiro's blue eyes scanned the area until he found what he was looking for.

Kouden turned his head slightly, but after a moment turned it back to the pond and continued to toss pebbles into it. Shiro walked up to the rock that the blonde was seated upon and sat down beside him.

"What do you want, teme?" Kouden asked in a dull voice. Shiro clicked his tongue.

"Why are you so bummed out? It can't just be Naruto-sama." Kouden flung a few pebbles into the water before answering.

"I'm happy. I really am, after Ka...Tou-sama… explained why he missed the first fifteen years of my life I forgave him. I'm really happy, really. It's a cool story that I can tell my friends and my kids if I ever have any. It's Ka-san. She's still in shock, I can tell. She won't respond to me…She looks at me like I'm a ghost…" Shiro snorted.

"Dobe, she thought you were dead…she probably felt guilty about her baby too." Kouden rubbed the back of his head and sighed.

"About that…I'm excited to be a big brother…but I'm kinda jealous too. He or she will get the attentions of both parents for all their life…I didn't have that luxury." Shiro grinned.

"Yea, but now you have all the time in the world to reconnect with Naruto-sama…Plus you can tell your little brother or sister about all the adventures that you had. I can guarantee that this baby will be way more over protected that you ever will or have been. At least you have a say in what happens to you. I kinda pity this kid." Shiro grinned widely, and Kouden couldn't help but grin as well.

Lying back, Kouden watched the clouds go by slowly.

"I haven't been in Konoha in almost 3 years. Did you know that I'm gonna be 15 in like, 2 months? I'm getting old." Shiro laughed and laid back beside Kouden.

"Did you know that I'm turning 16 two weeks after you turn 15? Did you know that Sasami-chan is already 15?" Kouden frowned and hit Shiro's arm.

"How do you think her stay in cloud is going?" Shiro shrugged. Kouden turned back to the sky and watched a bunny shaped cloud morph into a turtle.

"Can I join you two?" A voice called from the trees. Kouden jumped and quickly tilted his head back. He sighed when he saw Naruto.

"You don't have to ask, Tou-sama." Naruto grimaced and jumped down from the branch he was sitting on.

"Don't call me that…It sounds too weird." Kouden furrowed his brow.

"What, Tou-sama? Ahh, what do you want to be called? I've been calling you that my entire life…" Naruto stared at his son and said after a moment,

"Oyaji. Yea." Kouden stared at his father incredulously.

"O-Oyaji? Are you serious? Isn't that a little disrespectful?" Naruto laughed, and Shiro noted that he looked even more like Kouden when he laughed.

"You are your mother's son alright. Of course it's disrespectful! Do I deserve respect for what I did?" Kouden wrinkled his nose.

"You're Konoha's Hero, a Densetsu Sannin, my father…" Kouden shook his head and continued, "Besides, I completely forgive you! Shiro-teme told me that your story will make an excellent entertainment device. You've helped my social life greatly." This time both Naruto and Kouden laughed. Shiro grinned.

"Well, Still, Oyaji fits me better. It seems more familiar to me. If it feels really weird for you to say that, then don't, but yea…" Naruto trailed off, and Kouden grinned.

"So…Shiro is it?" Shiro stiffly nodded, surprised to be Naruto's focus of attention.

"What's your last name? You look an awful lot like a friend of mine."

"Oketsu…" Naruto grinned.

"I like your name. Your parent's had style. Are you familiar with Uchiha Sasuke?" Shiro nodded.

"He is a distant cousin. He also tutored me until I left to travel with Kouden and Jiraiya-sama." Naruto nodded.

"Ahaa…you know, your hairstyle, the back of it is kinda how Sasuke wore his…but your bangs…" Naruto pointed at the long pieces of hair that fell to his collar bone that were clasped into two parts with metal bands.

"The front looks an awful lot like a boy I fought once. His name was Haku, and he was a missing nin from Kirigakure." Naruto looked out towards the lake.

"I thought he was a girl the first time I met him…He died saving his companion's life. He took a chidori from Kakashi-sensei through the heart. I was 12, and he was not much older." Kouden sucked his breath in through his teeth and Shiro looked down.

"If they bother you…I can cut them…" Naruto snapped out of his reverie and said frantically,

"Nono! It's fine! I was just musing on how brace he was. He taught me that a strong fighter is one that has a precious person to protect. Who are your guy's precious people, if you don't mind me asking?" Shiro's ears reddened and he said,

"Hyuuga Aiko…Kouden's step sister… Well, not anymore I guess." Naruto nodded at Kouden.

"What about you?" Kouden looked up and proudly said,

"Ditama Sasami! She's training in Konoha with Sakura-ne-chan and Tsunade-baa-sama." Naruto frowned at Kouden.

"Sasami? As in, pink hair, brown eye, has an older brother?" Kouden frowned along with Shiro.

"Y-yes? Do you know her?" Naruto spared Kouden a glance before saying,

"Of course I do! I met her when she first arrived in Kumogakure. I was her brother's Jounin-sensei…and I sparred with her. She's not bad." Kouden grinned.

"She kicked my ass the first time we fought." Naruto sniggered.

"I hope you don't talk like that around your mother." Kouden looked offended.

"Of course I don't! I'm not like Shiro-teme." Shiro started and yelled,

"Hey! It's her fault! If she wants to swear around me like she does, then she can live with me swearing, Dobe!" Naruto laughed.

"What's so funny!?" Kouden said angrily.

"Me and Sasuke used to fight like you two…he even called me Dobe, and I called him Teme…It's weird." Kouden looked up at his father and said,

"Really? A-ano…do you think, you can tell us about you? Like, some good stories? Ka-san only told me a few stories about you, and only your really big missions made it into our textbooks at academy."

"I'm in your text books?" Kouden nodded.

"Sasuke-san and Sakura-san too, but more on you, Naruto-sama." Naruto frowned at the honourific, but ignored it.

"Crazy…Is Iruka-sensei still teaching?"

"Yea! He was my teacher, Shiro-teme's too! Iruka-sensei mentioned you a few times, actually." Naruto smiled and said,

"That man, other than Old man Hokage, was the first to acknowledge me. He's the closest thing I have to a father…I hope he still thinks of me fondly." Kouden's eye's widened in surprise.

"Oh? He was like that to me too. Tenten-ne-chan was a really good mother for the three years I was in Konoha… Neji acted like an older cousin." Kouden laughed and Naruto chuckled.

"Hinata-san? Do you want soy sauce on your onigiri?" Hinata looked at Natsumi and then down at the rice ball she was holding.

"U-uh…n-no…It's ok-kay." She reached for the white ball of rice and Natsumi handed it to her. Bringing it to her mouth, she bit in, but didn't taste anything. Chewing slowly, her mind was a blank as her eyes.

"Are you ok? You've been kinda spaced for the last two days." Natsumi said. Hinata looked up at Natsumi again and quietly said,

"I…I'm a-alright-t. I-I j-just n-need t-to go h-home." Natsumi stared at Hinata for a moment longer before sighing and turning to clean up the breakfast area.

Kouden was alive, Naruto was alive, her baby was alright…everything was too much to handle. Hinata sighed and looked out the window. She spotted three figures walking back making a lot of ruckus with their laughing. Jiraiya was sleeping in the corner, and snoring softly.

"Ka-san? Are you feeling better? We want to start moving home…" Hinata looked head of her, and saw her son. Looking out the window, she saw that the three figures were no longer there. Where was time going?

"H-hai…" Naruto stepped forward and sat down beside her. He put his hand on her stomach and said,

"Stop. I know you're still in shock, but please…" Naruto lowered his voice to a whisper, "you're scaring Kouden…" Hinata's eyes widened and she looked up at her son, who was being offered an onigiri. He was sparing glances at her, worry lined his lavender eyes. Even Shiro, who she didn't know all that well, was throwing worried glances at her. Hinata looked down and blushed. Naruto rubbed her stomach and said,

"There…That's the Hinata I fell in love with." Hinata couldn't help but smile, she also couldn't hold back tears as they started to collect in her eyes.

"I-I, I g-guess that w-we have t-to g-get back to K-Konoha s-soon." Naruto grinned widely and said,

"Yea! Baa-chan wants to retire and Sakura-chan is going to be successor! I can't let that happen!" Hinata smiled and Naruto threw his arm around her shoulder.

"Boy's get packed, we're leaving in an hour!" Kouden gave a small whoop and Jiraiya rolled over moaning.

* * *

Tenten lay in her bed, unable to sleep. Her coffee coloured hair was splayed out over her pillow. The weapon's mistress of Konoha turned her head to the empty spot in her bed. Sighing, she looked back up at the ceiling.

Aiko was staying the night at Inuzuka Machiko's house, and Tenten felt extremely lonely. Aiko had taken to sleeping in Neji's spot to help Tenten herself sleep at night. Running her hands over the soft sheets, she nearly started to cry. Neji bought the sheets as a wedding anniversary present nearly 8 years prior.

Sitting up, Tenten decided that if she couldn't sleep, maybe some warm food would help. Making her way down the hall, she stopped at the door that was across from Aiko's room. It was a door that hadn't been used in almost 3 years. Peering in, she almost sneezed at the dust she stirred up. Pulling her night slip up over her nose, she walked in, stirring dust with every step.

The room was mostly empty. A folded up pallet sat in the corner, and beside it was messily folded blankets. A large green calendar hung on the wall beside the window, and at a closer look, she saw that it was dated three years prior.

"Kouden-kun…" She whispered, running her fingers over the scribbles that Kouden had added to it over the time he owned it. The last time she saw the blonde boy was in Kumogakure almost a year ago, along with his mother. Tenten looked down. She now knew how Hinata had felt when she had lost Naruto. She couldn't imagine how Hinata must have felt…or would feel if she ever found out about the fate of her son.

Tears formed in her brown eyes, and she quickly exited the room. Tenten stepped down the stairs lightly. Years of being an active Shinobi aided in her silence. The steady and soothing hum of the old refrigerator greeted her.

"3:08…" Tenten sighed. Opening the fridge, the small lower level of her house was filled with a weak light. She noticed several letters sitting on her table. Aiko must have brought them I as she left, Tenten thought.

The purple envelope caught Tenten's eyes, and she smiled weakly. Ino had taken to setting up various days to go shopping, and to help distract her from grieving Neji. Tenten knew that Ino was not only helping Tenten, but helping herself, as the stress of taking care of five children was something that Tenten couldn't imagine.

Turning back to the fridge, she stared at the half stocked shelves. Mostly vegetables, juice, milk…nothing that caught her interest. She reached for the milk bottle when she felt a hand stroke her hair.

Spinning around, she hardly registered the milk bottle shattering. Looking wildly around the room, she saw and heard nothing. She felt no chakra other than her own, and a trace of Aiko's that was coming from her room. Tears sprang to her eyes again, and she wiped them away angrily.

Moving her foot, a sharp pain made her gasp. Looking down, she saw that she had stepped on a piece of glass.

"Ah…the milk…" She said, and bent down to pull the shard out of her foot. Hobbling over to the cupboard on the far end of the counter, she reached up and ruffled around until she found a box of bandages. Wiping more tears off her face, she found a cloth by the sink and wiped the milk and blood off her foot. Peeling the backing off the bandage, she stuck it to her foot and wiggled her toes.

Dropping the cloth on the milk spill she let it sit for a few seconds before wringing it out in the sink. Picking the shards up carefully, she placed them on the counter. Sighing as she finished, she sat propped up against the cupboard under the sink. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she adjusted herself and sighed again.

A creaked echoed throughout the house. Tenten started and her heart picked up pace. She was still sitting in front of the sink, and realized that she must have fallen asleep. She turned her neck, which was a bit sore towards the window and saw the first fingers of sunlight were touching the clouds, turning them pink and purple.

Standing up shakily, another creak, quieter this time made her turn around. The emergency kunai that she had taped under the lip of the counter was now held in her hand.

Looking at the door, she realized it had been opened. The shoes that had been left in front of the door had been pushed to the side. She took a single step towards the door and something caught the corner of her eye. Turning her head towards the area where the TV usually was, Tenten dropped her kunai.

"N-Neji…?"

* * *

End Chapter 41 


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

* * *

Tenten reached her hand out towards the man who stood in her living room at 6 am.

"N…Neji?" She whispered. The man smiled and held out his arms.

"Tadaima, Tenten." Tenten couldn't hold it anymore. Dropping to her knees she started to cry. Neji rushed to her side, hitting his shin on the table in the middle of the room. Letting loose a small swear, Neji ignored the pain and grabbed Tenten's shoulders.

Tenten's cries escalated to the point where she was screaming, more than crying.

"Shh! Shhh!" Neji said soothingly, stroking Tenten's hair. After a while, Tenten's cries became sobs, and the sobs became loud breathing. Tenten looked up at Neji and reached up to touch his face, but recoiled about an inch away.

"W...what happened?" She whispered hoarsely. Neji touched the bandage that was wrapped over his left eye softly. Neji looked away from Tenten's gaze.

"Does it repulse you? It scarred horribly. It's still not even fully healed. I came back to Konoha as soon as I could; I need Tsunade-sama's help to fix me." Tenten reached up again and gently placed her fingers on the gauze.

"You didn't answer my question…what kept you from returning? After I got that horrible letter….Losing my husband and son in one day…" Tenten shuddered and Neji froze.

"…S-son? Kouden?" Tenten started to tear up again.

"Around the same time as you. Shiro-san and Jiraiya-sama as well." Neji sat back, his robe opened to expose his chest which was entirely covered in bandages. Tenten sucked her breath in.

"What happened?" She said, reaching for her husband.

"Please…don't touch it. My chest hurts more than my eye does. Something is not letting them heal properly."

"Neji! What happened?" Neji sighed and said,

"It was about 7 months ago…If that girl was correct…"

_Neji woke up, a throbbing sharp pain made him cry out. He brought his hands up to his face and cried out again when he touched the bandage on his face. The motion shifted his chest which burned like fire. Looking around wildly, he saw a girl with a head of dark pink hair mashing something in a mortar bowl._

"_S-Sakura…H-help…" He called weakly before crying out again when another wave of the sharp pain engulfed his senses. The girl turned around and glanced at Neji._

"_Oh! You're awake! You've been in the most unusual coma! I can't figure out why you aren't healing. Can you tell me your name, and why I found you near the desert edge, beaten to a pulp?" Neji figured out that the pain was much less severe if he ceased moving._

"_W-water…" he said dryly. The girl nodded and poured lukewarm, stale water down his throat. To Neji, it tasted as fresh and cold as the purest spring water._

"_N-Neji…Hyuuga Neji… Coma?" Neji said shakily. The girl tilted her head and reached over to Neji's face._

"_Hyuuga Neji, eh? Well, I'm Joi. And you, my friend, have been moaning and groaning in your sleep for a good two months. I've patched you up, but you won't heal properly. Your wounds are full of dust, sand and small rock fragments. Something isn't letting your wounds close ether." Joi paused, and carefully and gently removed the gauze off of his face. Neji opened his eye, but only pain came to him. He shot his hands up to his face, but Joi held them back._

"_Stop. There was nothing I could do. You've lost that eye." Neji's remaining eye widened._

"_G-gone..? As in, out of my head?" Joi shook her head._

"_No. It's pretty mutilated. Speaking of, what's with your eyes? Are you blind? You don't look blind, though…" Neji, relieved that he hadn't lost his eye altogether said, _

"_Kekkei Genkai." Joi nodded and after inspecting the wound on Neji's face said, _

"_I'm going to put salve on your wound. It numbs it and encourages scabbing. It's been helping a little bit, but you need help from a medic nin, really bad. There's only so much herbs can do. This is going to hurt, but this stuff works fast. You won't feel it after 5 minutes." Neji tried to nod, his chest started to burn again._

_The next five minutes were the longest five minutes of his life. He didn't think the pain was ever going to end. When it finally did, Joi told him that she was going to have to apply to his chest, and Neji moaned loudly._

_The next 3 months were a process of slow and painful recovery. Joi managed to pick more irritants out of Neji's wounds, and Neji was delighted to find that when he activated his Byakugan, there were a few spots on the back of his eye that still responded, but he was dismayed to find that he couldn't activate it without extreme pain._

"_I think its poison, you know." Joi said one day as Neji sat on his pallet in her cabin._

"_I need to go home. Tsunade-sama is the best medical shinobi there is, she could fix me up for good." Joi looked over at him and pouted._

"_Leaving me so soon?" Neji rolled his eye and Joi laughed. Neji caught the sober look on her face as she turned back to her mortar bowl, mashing and mixing more medicine for Neji._

"_Everyone probably thinks I'm dead. I left my wife and daughter back home…I need to go…Joi-chan…" Joi nodded and turned to face him. Her eyes were shut as she grinned, but Neji could see tears starting to form._

"_Joi-chan…You know you could come with me. Stay with me and my family until I am well enough to bring you back…" Joi smiled kindly at the one eye Hyuuga._

"_Very sweet, but I enjoy life out here. It's nice. Ever since the old Tsuchikage bought Bird Country, our economy has boosted. All of the new settlers from Iwagakure don't look at me like I'm the village freak…a few of those shinobi are cute too…" Joi trailed off and Neji smiled softly. _

_Joi lived in a small wooden cabin a kilometre or so off the dirt road. Although that was changing, as more and more people from Rock Country were moving to the now prosperous country. Most had though Joi a weirdo for living so far away, but Neji, spending every day for the better part of 5 months, albeit 2 of those were spent unconscious, he knew otherwise. Joi was a lonely and shy girl with an unusual knowledge of medicinal herbs._

"_If you say so. And that won't make me jealous, girl. My old students are your age. I'm a bit old for you, I think." Joi pouted, but ended up laughing._

"_You've been restless for the last week. I've been making extra medicine. When do you want to leave? I can accompany you to the border." Neji sighed and smiled. He stood up carefully and walked over to Joi. Ruffling her dark pink hair he said, _

"_Tomorrow is good. I don't know how I can ever repay you for this kindness?" Joi blushed and said, _

"_You could run away with me, and we could get married." Neji laughed and ruffled her hair again._

"_Already married. Sorry kid. Anything but that." Joi smiled again and handed him a large rucksack."_

"_The robes that I found you in are washed, of course, and mended. I'm not a very good seamstress, so maybe when you get back home; you could find a real seamstress to do it. We can pack the medicine tonight, after I finish making them. Food too. It takes about 3 days to walk to the border, and, if my calculations are correct, about two months to walk to Konoha. I want you to promise me that you will not strain yourself and make those wounds worse. You know how often to apply the numbing paste, and-" Neji cut her off with his finger over her mouth._

"_Joi-chan, I know. When I get better, I'll come back and repay you." Joi blushed slightly._

"_Your friendship was more than enough. I've never had a real friend before…" Neji smiled and took the rucksack from her hands._

_3 days later found Neji and Joi staring at the intersection on the empty dirt road._

"_That one will take you towards the fire country. I wish you luck Neji." Joi said, her voice audibly wavering. Neji smiled and turned to face Joi. He put his hand on the back of her head and kissed her. It was a long and deep kiss, and Joi was out of breath by the time Neji finally let go._

"_N-Neji… What was that?" She said, a mixed look sat on her face._

"_Part of my payback. You're still young. I hope you find a good man and have many healthy children. I wish you luck for your many years ahead of you." It wasn't until Neji stopped talking did Joi start to cry._

"_I'll miss you, but I'll never forgive you, you bastard! You stole my first kiss!" Neji gave a loud laugh as he walked on. Joi didn't turn around to head back until Neji's dot disappeared on the horizon._

Tenten was silent. The only thing that made noise was the steady hum of the old fridge, and occasionally a morning bird cheep outside.

"So…You kissed her?" Neji nearly face vaulted.

"Is that all you're concerned about? Two months of straight walking took a toll on me. I need to see Tsunade right away. I ran out of Joi-chan's medicine."

"Yes, yes. I understand that. But you…kissed her? A 20 year old girl?" Neji rolled his eye and stood up, hunched over slightly in pain.

"Let's get you to the hospital." Tenten said, quickly rising with him. She felt strangely calm, but she knew that once it set in, she was ready for the emotional train wreck that she was sure to become.

"What…What happened to Kouden? Do you know? Have you heard anything from Hinata-sama?" Tenten shook her head.

"I haven't seen Hinata since my mission to Kumogakure…that was also the last time I saw…Kouden." Tenten looked down, but Neji wrapped his arm around her.

"Stop moping, dear. I need to see Tsunade." Tenten nodded and slipped her feet into her sandals.

"Tsunade-sama…someone is here to see you…" A guard, newly promoted whispered into the room tentatively. He had already woken the falsely young Hokage and paid for it. But when he saw that she was sitting behind her desk, calmly doing paperwork, he nearly had a heart attack.

"Well, send them in then." She said, not taking her eyes off the report she was scanning. The guard nodded at Tenten and Neji and the two walked into the office. Tenten and Neji both were startled to see Tsunade working, and were too shocked to say anything.

Tsunade finished reading the report and signed it before she looked up. The pen in her mouth fell to the desk with a small clatter as she stared at who Tenten was supporting.

"N-Neji?" She said.

"In the flesh. Sorry for the delay, I was trying to not die on the walk here." Tenten felt that if this situation were different, she would have laughed.

"I…uh, I don't know what to say! Here, here! Lie down, Let me get a look at you!" Neji obediently laid on the long bench that was against the wall.

"I'm hurt. That's why I came back. The girl that tried to heal me said that something was preventing her herbs from working. It's very painful." Tsunade's hands lit up in green fire. Placing them over Neji's eye and chest, he winced loudly. Tsunade grimaced.

"Kami-sama…I'm surprised you're not dead! You've got bits of sand and dirt deep in your wounds…you have a rather large piece of rock floating around in your eye…I'm surprised nothing is infected! But…this is weird…your cells aren't able to reproduce to fix themselves…almost as if they've been frozen…kami-sama! I've dealt with this before! Years ago! It's a type of poison that doesn't spread easily, but it prevents wounds from healing. Why aren't you dead?"

"Joi-chan was a good medicine woman." Tenten clicked her tongue and Neji almost laughed.

"You're able to walk, I presume. That woman did a good job of cleaning and fixing you. She cut some of the tissue away and it's starting to heal in places." The fire around Tsunade's hands died away and Neji said, before painfully sitting up,

"Can you fix it?" Tsunade nodded.

"It will have to be multiple surgeries…one to get all the debris out, especially the ones in your eye… can you still use your Byakugan?" Neji nodded.

"I can, and my damaged eye has a few spots at the back that I can barely see out of, but it hurts too much to use it for more than a few seconds." Tsunade nodded.

"Good. It wasn't severed from the optical nerve then. I might be able to get more sight for the back of your head, but the front is mutilated. How did you get these injuries?" Neji frowned.

"I think…I remember being thrown off in a kaiten…boulders exploding, and intense pain. I probably got struck by shards."

"You're lucky. On your chest, you scratched your lung, and missed your heart by less than an inch. You had better thank your ribcage. It saved your life." Neji smiled.

"We can put you in the ICU for today. This afternoon Sakura can start your cleaning. I want you to get some rest before this, so I'm going to knock you out for the rest of today." Neji nodded and the blonde turned to Tenten.

"Tenten, normally, I'd tell you to go home and get some real rest, as you look like crap. But I'm nice and sympathetic. I'll get you a cot so you can sleep beside Neji. I'll get some nice and strong sleeping pills for you. I think you need the rest more than Neji." Tsunade shot a look at Tsunade, but she just laughed.

* * *

"Sakura, I'm glad you arrived on time." Sakura looked peeved.

"It's not my fault. Last night was the first time I've been able to sleep properly in a while, with all the paperwork you've been giving me." Tsunade swivelled her chair around and said,

"Do you not want to be Hokage then?" Sakura looked to the side.

"No. Not really. I'm doing it for Naruto's sake. You know that." Tsunade was silent for a moment.

"I've scheduled you for a surgery today. It's fairly simple, but razor precise control is needed for it. You'll need to remove bits of sand and debris from two rather large and nasty wounds. One of the wounds involves an eye, and you must be extra careful with that, because the eye is still salvageable." Sakura clicked her tongue but nodded.

"Name of patient?" Tsunade grinned.

"Ohhh, you know him." A horrified look decorated Sakura's face.

"Lee-san? Did he do something to his wounds again!? I'm going to kill that man…"

"No! Not Lee. You'll see. The surgery is scheduled to happen in about an hour. Go and prepare." Sakura started to leave when Tsunade called out.

"Sakura! His wife is sleeping in the cot next to him, she's pretty doped up on sleeping pills, so you don't have to be extra quiet, but I'd like it if she stayed asleep please." Sakura nodded and Tsunade could her talking to herself down the hall.

"…Wife? Kiba doesn't have a wife…Nor does Lee-san…or Kakashi-sensei…Iruka-sensei divorced…Shi-Shino-san? Oh no!" Tsunade shook her head and started to doodle all over the report that she really didn't want to do.

* * *

The hour passed too quickly for Sakura, but as she assembled the team of nurses that would be assisting her during the operation, she decided to go check on her patient.

Opening the door, she saw a man hooked up to an IV. He looked relatively healthy, other than the gauze that was covering his bare chest and half of his face. When she saw his face, she dropped her tablet.

"N-Neji-san!" Covering her mouth, she heard Tenten rustle, but thankfully the woman didn't wake. Walking closer to Neji, she was still in disbelief as she peeked under the gauze.

"Shishou! You said some! This wound is filthy, kami-sama!" She whispered loudly. Replacing the bandage she didn't even bother check his chest.

"I see what she meant about the eye though. I guess he can still use it." Sakura, who was a bit more accepting about Neji's existence than Tenten was, called in two assistants to help her move the gurney to the surgery room.

* * *

"Ka-san! I can see the gates!" Hinata nodded and smiled. They had been travelling for almost 4 days straight and Hinata felt very worn out. She had insisted on trying to run as much as she could, but Naruto usually ended up carrying her.

Jiraiya looked down at his daughter who had insisted on tagging along. Her mother wasn't too happy about it, but when Natsumi told her that it was to improve her medical skills, she finally dropped it.

Kouden and Shiro started to run ahead, but Jiraiya called them back.

"Stop you two. You're listed as dead, remember? You'll be questioned if you go ahead." Shiro and Kouden stopped dead in their tracks, and waited until their small menagerie caught up.

"Gomenasai, Ero-sennin." Jiraiya gritted his teeth, but said nothing.

The old man led the group as they walked through the gates.

"H-hey…Hey! Jiraiya-sama! I thought you were dead!" Kotetsu called out. Izumo shifted his attention to his companions.

"Hey, check it out! It's that Hyuuga kid who was adopted. Weird, I remember his eyes being green the last time I saw them though…" Izumo said, more to himself.

"Aw man, you guys better get up to the Hokage's office ASAP. I heard that she's either in, or just finishing up surgery right now. Oh! Boys! I saw that pink haired girl you two always hang out with. She was being escorted back here. She just got back…a week ago? She seemed very depressed… Probably because everyone thinks your dead. Good going, kids." Kouden blushed brightly, reminded Naruto of Hinata, and Shiro's ears turned a dark red."

"To Tsunade-hime's office then." Jiraiya said.

"Can we stop at Ichiraku's first? I've had that stuff once in like, 16 years." Jiraiya looked back at Naruto.

"No." Naruto made a great show of pouting.

* * *

Tsunade walked into her office and nearly had a heart attack. She was exhausted from the final surgery on Neji. Using his hair…a lot of his hair, she had managed to stitch together his wounds. Sakura had successfully cleaned out all pieces of debris, and had later cut out the irreparable flesh. Neji had a nasty set of scars, but Tsunade suspected he was proud of them.

She was walking into her office to down a jug of sake and pass out on her desk. She was not expecting 3 people she thought dead, and two that she wanted to kill, to be sitting in her office.

"So, Tsunade-hime. I brought you back some long thought dead Leaf nin. Will you marry me?" Saying that Tsunade was stunned was a severe understatement. Emotions flooded and churned inside the blonde woman. She eyed each of the persons in front of her, and she eyed the large swell of Hinata's stomach that showed through her tattered blue coat.

"You…all look tired…Kouden…Shiro, I'm glad you aren't hurt. Very glad. Please…Shiro; go home to your mother. She's grief stricken. Kouden, please go to Sakura's house and tell Sasuke that you are not to leave until I send for you." Kouden frowned.

"What? Why not Tenten-ne-chan and Neji-ni-san's house?" Tsunade, still talking in a dazed voice said,

"Because Aiko is staying with the Inuzuka's and Tenten is staying here in the hospital until Neji recovers from surgery." Naruto frowned and said,

"W-what? He's not…dead? I saw his file in Suna!" Tsunade shook her head.

"He showed up severely injured 4 days ago." Naruto sat back down and Tsunade mindlessly ushered Shiro and Kouden out the door.

"I'll see you later, Ka-san…Oyaji…" Naruto smiled and Tsunade completely missed it. Turning to the rest of the group, she said,

"Who is this girl?" Pointing at Natsumi, the girl started and said,

"M-me? I'm Natsumi…Jiraiya is my Tou-san." Tsunade nodded and looked at Hinata.

"Well, then could step…wait. What? Tou-san?" She yelled. Jiraiya flinched.

"Since when do you have kids, you perv!?" Tsunade yelled again. Jiraiya shrugged and said,

"Since 6 months ago, apparently. She is the one who saved Shiro and Kouden's lives. As well as Hinata's baby." Tsunade looked at Natsumi. A slight look of uneasy swam around in her eyes and said,

"Natsumi-san was it? Can you please step outside? Tell the shorter guard to take you to the lounge room. I just need a word with you…father…and then I can offer you two accommodations." Natsumi nodded quickly and scurried out of her office. Tsunade turned back to the three remaining people and stared at them.

She continued to stare until Hinata started to squirm.

"How is the baby?" Hinata jumped and let loose a squeak.

"A-ano…He's fine. I had a scare about a week ago…but I guess it was stress… Natsumi-san saved him." Tsunade paused and calmly said,

"Him? How do you know it's a boy?" Hinata rubbed her belly and said,

"Just a feeling." Tsunade was still looking at her, expecting more, so Hinata continued, her cheeks an almost painful red.

"A-ano…Well, you see…I can't see Naruto-kun producing daughters…he's too…" Hinata trailed off as she realized what she said. Jiraiya sniggered and Naruto slapped his hand to his forehead.

"W-what?" Tsunade said, her gaze ripped up to Naruto.

"Ehhhh…This wasn't how I wanted to tell you either, Baa-chan." Tsunade gaped.

"D-don't call me that…" She absentmindedly said. Shaking her head she said,

"But you're Katoki! Katoki from Kumogakure! P-prove it!" Naruto looked around before digging under his shirt. He pulled out a small green stone that had two small steal balls hanging beside it.

"M…my necklace…" She whispered. "H-how..?"

"I don't remember much of it. I haven't remembered all of what I forgot. I don't know how I was hurt that day…Although I suspect that Hinata does and she just doesn't want to tell me. But I woke up in Kumo without knowledge of anything but a strange attraction to dark hair and pale coloured eyes." Hinata blushed. "I didn't even know my name. I just remembered who I really was when Hinata was stabbed in Suna. I didn't tell you at the time, because I didn't believe it myself. I was still in shock. Apparently Raikage-sama knew who I was, but he and Kakashi-sensei, who had informed him originally, agreed that telling me was bad for my health. So I spent 15 years not knowing who I was, living off bits and pieces of memories that I gathered painfully over the years."

"Oh…Kami-sama…" Tsunade said, before her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed on the carpet.

"Kuso!" Swore Jiraiya as he barely managed to catch her. Turning towards Naruto he said,

"I knew who you were when we first met in the street in Waterfall. That's why I was in Kumo. I recall you asking me that once." Naruto glared angrily over at the old man, but Hinata calmed him with her hand.

"Your eyes are red. Stop it." Naruto looked down at Hinata and released the chakra that he didn't even know he gathered. Everything became less vivid, but when Hinata wasn't looking, he shot another glare over at the old man. Jiraiya sneered, and Hinata let out a giggle.

Tsunade came to a few minutes after fainting and proceeded to slap Jiraiya for touching her inappropriately. She called the entire rookie nine, Sai and Lee, as Tenten was still too drugged up to do anything, and Neji was still out for the count, and explained to them about Hinata and Naruto's disappearance. The reactions were mixed.

Ino and Sai, knowing about Hinata, were more ecstatic about Naruto and their baby, then anything. Sasuke was mad at Naruto for not telling him the truth that day in Kumo. Shikamaru was quite surprised, but left early because he had to return to Suna the next day. Chouji and Lee were very loud, Lee shouting about youth, and Chouji about food. Sakura started to cry in relief. She was the last one to leave the mini party when Tsunade kicked them all out. She gave Naruto a pile of papers that she had finished filling out and studying and told Naruto to have fun. She left after hugging Hinata and rubbing her stomach.

"Tomorrow, I suppose that everyone will want to introduce you to their children. You've missed a lot. According to Ino, you haven't been in Konoha for nearly three years, Hinata. Why wasn't I informed?" Hinata blushed again. She was sitting down, utterly exhausted. She hadn't expected Tsunade to pull something like that.

"I…was ashamed…I don't really want to go on it. It's behind me. But speaking off? How is my sister? My…Otou-sama?" Naruto noticed that she said his name with a little less hate than usual.

"Your father is dead. He died fighting Iwa nin. Your sister…she's alive, but she was injured in the war." Hinata furrowed her brow.

"How? Is she ok?" Tsunade nodded.

"Oh yes, she's up and about, but her mid section was ripped up pretty badly. I'm afraid that Konohamaru and Hanabi won't be having children unless she pulls off of a miraculous recovery." Hinata gasped.

"Aah… That's horrible! I almost feel like giving this one to her…"

"Oh no. I missed the first one's life; I'm not missing this one's." Hinata blushed a bit and nodded.

"I wasn't going to really…" Naruto smoothed her hair back, and Hinata relaxed muscles that she hadn't realized were tense.

"You two can stay here…We have guest quarters for the various VIP's that visit." Naruto's eye lit up and he said,

"Oh, yea! You aren't still going to give Hokage up to Sakura-chan are you? That's why I came back. I was sorely tempted to stay in Kumo, you know." Tsunade pursed her lips.

"Mmmm, I dunno…" Tsunade said, drawing out the 'o'. Naruto frowned and put on his best puppy eyes that he could come up with.

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Sakura doesn't even want it. She was taking it in memory of you, and because I was too lazy to train anyone else. If you study fast and hard; if you eat, sleep, and dream the reports and books I'm going to give you, you can get the position in 3 months." Naruto drooped slightly, but said,

"Well, now that I remember that I hated studying, it's going to be harder. You're lucky I picked up a very good work ethic in Kumogakure. I was the Jounin-sensei to their next Raikage, you know…" Tsunade shifted her eye brows and said,

"Well…In that case, I don't need to assign you a team then. That could cut a lot of paper work and studying for you." Naruto uttered a small, "Yes!" and Hinata giggled.

"By tomorrow morning, you'll both be reinstated. Naruto as jounin, and Hinata as chuunin." Hinata opened her mouth and blushed.

"A-ano…Can I not? I m-mean, not forever…maybe when the baby is a few years old?" Tsunade smiled and nodded.

"I suppose. I'm glad now; I get to look forward to another grandchild." Hinata blushed and grinned shyly. Naruto grinned widely and unashamedly.

"It's almost 9, you two better go to bed. The taller guard will show you to the rooms. Naruto, I want you to report here at 8 am sharp…no, make that 10. I wanna sleep in." Naruto laughed and escorted the pregnant Hyuuga out of the office.

Tsunade sat down in her leather chair and swivelled around to face the mountain. Gazing at the mountain side that held the monuments to the Hokage, she smiled and said,

"Well, I'd better get Kakashi to fix that monument. He's there every morning anyway." The blonde picked her pen up and crossed Sakura's name out several times on the report she had been writing. Scribbling 'Uzumaki Naruto' in their stead.

"Took you long enough, Naruto."

* * *

End Chapter 42 


	43. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

Kouden sat upon the stone head of Yondaime. Flicking a pebble off the edge with his foot, the blonde nearly jumped when a hand was placed on his shoulder. Turning around, relief flood through him.

"Oyaji… Don't do that!" Naruto laughed, his eyes closing into a very fox like grin. Sitting down, he straightened the comical hat that sat on his head.

"How's the hat fitting?" Kouden asked. Naruto sighed and took it off. Laying it on his lap, he said,

"It's oddly comforting. You know, I've been working towards this goal since I was a child." Naruto ran his thumb across the kanji that was painted onto the hat.

"How's Ka-san? Are they letting you in?" Naruto glanced at his son and shook his head.

"No, they kept saying that I was being to stressing. It's not very fair… I'm Hokage; they should be listening to me." Kouden laughed.

"Oyaji…You've been Hokage for a day." Naruto rolled his eyes. Kouden stood up and said,

"Well, Sasami-chan said that she would meet me in about 10 minutes at Ichiraku's. I gotta take off. I'll see you later tonight." Naruto shook his head.

"I doubt it. I've got so much paperwork to do, plus I've got to be awake for when your mother has the baby, since they won't let me in the hospital." Kouden watched his father stand up and was dismayed to see that the top of his head only came up to Naruto's eyes.

"You know, if you hadn't threatened to Rasengan the entire floor I'm sure Ino-san would have let you hold Ka-san's hand." Naruto sighed and put his arm around Kouden's shoulders.

"I'll walk you to Ichiraku's. I want to grab a bowl or two to go before the ANBU come looking for me." Naruto sighed louder. Kouden grinned.

"Evading work again? I hope this doesn't turn into a habit." Naruto rolled his eyes and said,

"Trust me. I'm not like Tsunade-baa-chan. I'm sure Yondaime never evaded paperwork, and people tell me that I'm a lot like him." Kouden eyed his father up and down and said,

"The Byakugan enables me to see far into the future. I can see that you will be not quite as lazy as Baa-sama, but almost." Naruto scoffed and cuffed the shorter blonde. Kouden laughed and Naruto grinned.

The two walked on to Ichiraku's, stopping only to laugh at Neji and his short hair. Neji just scowled at the two and Tenten, who was trying to hold in more laughter, helped him hobble along on crutches.

"Aah, Kouden-kun! You're late! Oh! Hokage-sama! It's always a pleasure to see you…" A girl with light pink hair bobbled a small bow and Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Please. When you marry my son, I expect to be called 'father'. Anything else is not acceptable." Sasami blushed.

"A-ah…Are you joining us for a quite bite, err, Tou-sama?" Naruto sat down on a stool and waved at Ayame and her son.

"San or chan, Sasami-chan. Ahh, Ayame-ne-chan! How is Jii-chan?" Ayame smiled kindly and said,

"He's tired. He's going to retire soon, and I'll be taking over." Naruto smiled sadly.

"If you guys ever need help with like, retirement places, just talk to me. I owe you two so much. But anyone in the Ichiraku family is a friend of the Hokage." Ayame smiled and glanced at her son who was taking Kouden and Sasami's orders. She leaned forward and said quietly,

"Don't tell Tou-san, but I'd like it if we could find a place with a single floor, Tou-san can't climb the stairs like he used to." Naruto grinned.

"Done. Come see me next week sometime…I can set it all up." Ayame grinned and ruffled Naruto's hair, catching Kouden and Sasami's attention.

"I remember you when you were just a little kid. We gave you free ramen on your 8th birthday, you were so happy." Naruto's cheeks were dusted red and Kouden laughed.

"Ayame-ne-channnn…I'm Hokage now. It's not befitting the leader of the village." Ayame laughed and gave him one last pat.

Naruto found himself sitting in his office not even an hour later, three, foot high piles of paper decorated his desk. Naruto swirled his pen around his fingers, but dropped then when Tsunade entered.

"Ahh, Hokage-sama! I see you aren't doing your work… anything wrong?" Naruto narrowed his eyes at the busty Godaime.

"Why didn't you tell me that being Hokage was all paperwork and no action!? All work and no explosions make Naruto a dull Hokage." Tsunade laughed and sat down in front of Naruto.

"I did it for nearly 20 years, kid. I think you can handle it. You worked hard to earn this." Naruto sighed and swirled his pen again.

"But why did you have to give it to me yesterday? Thanks to this," Naruto swept his hands over the piles of paper, "I can't even be with my wife in the delivery room." Tsunade frowned and said,

"Well, I wasn't anticipating that…" Leaning in close, Tsunade whispered, "How about I take care of today's work, and you, calmly, go see your wife. No screaming, no Rasengans, no jutsu of any kind."

Naruto pouted, but quickly took his hat off and plopped it on the falsely young woman's head. Dashing down the hall he used chakra to run as fast as he could to the hospital. Dashing up to the nurse at the counter, the woman bowed and said,

"Good morning, Hokage-sama…can I help you?" Naruto took a few heaving breaths and said,

"Can I see Hinata-chan? I promise to behave…" The nurse looked at him for a few moments and said,

"Alright. But if I hear any trouble about you…I have permission to ban you from the hospital until Ino-sama says you can be let back in." Naruto pouted, but nodded and walked as calmly as he could to the ward that his wife was most likely in terrible pain, or whatever childbirth was like.

Opening the door to her room, he was surprised to see her sitting in bed, reading a book.

"H-Hinata-chan?" Hinata looked up and smiled widely.

"Naruto-kun! Have you calmed down? Ino said she would let you back in if you promised to behave." Naruto blushed and said,

"Are you ok? Aren't you supposed to be crying out in pain?" Hinata leafed the corner of her page and closed her book. Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed she sat and said,

"Naruto-kun, I've only been in labour for a few hours…I've got quite a few more to go. Right now, the pain isn't bad." Naruto gulped.

"Alright…I guess. Well, Tsunade said she'd cover for me today, so I can stay here until the baby is born. Have you decided on a name yet?" Hinata shook her head.

"Naming Kouden was much easier…But we'll get through it. Don't worry. Instead, tell me about your day as Hokage!" Naruto smiled and settled in beside her on the bed. He swung her legs back up and said,

"It was a dream come true." Hinata smiled and Naruto grinned like Hinata had always remembered it.

THE END.

* * *

Devastated? Don't be, I'm writing a sequel, but after I finish up with loose ends at school.

I want to thank everyone for the numerous reviews, and to the folks at thanks for the all the story/author faves/alerts, I was touched by everyone of them 8D.

Thank you all, hopefully I will see you soon.

-Mog


End file.
